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UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | I
BUFFALOO
nion Studio, Inc.
2016
CIVIL COMPETITIONUB-ASCE student teamwork builds bridges –and more– to help reach career goals
II | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
We are passionate about providing our students
with opportunities to develop hard and so� skills
during the course of their degree programs,
reminding them o� en of the importance of each in
the workplace.
Our faculty spend vast hours pondering
the analytical skills and technical knowledge
students need to succeed in the modern world, and
developing meaningful coursework that connects
rigorous fundamental concepts with real-world
needs. As a result, our graduates stand among the
best in the world for their hard skills, making us
proud of all they achieve.
In parallel, the faculty and staff have created
a large array of programs to advance students’
understanding of the so� skills that make collective
human eff orts successful, particularly in a global
economy.
Our taxonomy of these essential skills is just
as complex as the degree programs that brought
students to SEAS in the fi rst place, ranging from
communication to self-assessment to ethical
reasoning to confl ict management to cultural
competency, with much in between.
As we have expanded our experiential learning
opportunities for students, we also have found
new and exciting ways to engage them in learning
across the so� skills spectrum. There are now well
over 200 diff erent off erings that our students can
choose from, thus enabling them to round out their
professional skillset.
We are thrilled, too, that increasing numbers
of alumni have remained involved with our
school in a myriad of ways, exemplifying the
value of networking and providing real-world
advice, mentoring and connections leading to job
opportunities. You will read in these pages about
just one example of how our active and engaged
alumni help students develop their so� skills
through their involvement with the American
Society of Civil Engineers.
As we celebrate our fi rst 70 years as New York
State’s premier public school of engineering, we
look forward to graduating students who are
equipped with all the skills they will need to tackle
the biggest problems we face, regionally, nationally
and across the world.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
Onion Studio, Inc.
Liesl Folks, PhD, MBADean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Fostering soft skills for career success
Facebook@ubseas
Twitter@UBengineering
YouTubeUBEngineering
LinkedInUniversity at Bu� alo Engineering and Applied Sciences
Sign up for our Newsletterengineering.bu� alo.edu/news
BUFFALO ENGINEERBu� alo Engineer is published by the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to showcase the excellence of our faculty, sta� , alumni and students.
EditorJane Stoyle Welch
Contributing WritersJim Bisco, Sarah D'Iorio, Jenna Dombroski, Laura Hernandez,Cory Nealon, Tracy Puckett, Rebecca Rudell, Jashonda Williams
DesignLucy Norton, Newbird LLCJamie Bell, Newbird LLC
PhotographyDouglas Levere, Nancy J. Parisi, Onion Studio, Inc.
School Leadership
Liesl Folks, Dean
Rajan Batta, Associate Dean for Faculty A� airs
Gary Dargush, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education
Je� rey Errington, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
Christine Human, Associate Dean for Accreditation and Student A� airs
Department Chairs
Albert Titus, Biomedical Engineering
Stelios Andreadis, Chemical and Biological Engineering
Joseph Atkinson, Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering
Chunming Qiao, Computer Science and Engineering
Stella Batalama, Electrical Engineering
Ann Bisantz, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Krishna Rajan, Materials Design and Innovation
Kemper Lewis, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Engineering Alumni Association O� cers
Kurt Bessel, PresidentMS ME ’08, BS ME ’07, BA German ’07
Luke Adams, Vice President, BS MAE ‘08
Lisa Zielinski, Secretary, BS CSEE ’08
Francis Mahaney, Treasurer, BS ’12, CivE
Emre Colak, Vice President and Bay Area Chapter Leader, BS '06 CompE and MS '08 CS
Bethany Mazur, SEAS Liaison
Support Our School
Your philanthropic support helps to fund a variety of student programs. Please use the enclosed envelope or visit www.giving.bu� alo.edu/engineering to make your contribution.
Address Changes
UB Alumni Association members can update their address information at https://alumni.bu� alo.edu/alumni-connections. All others should email ub-seas@bu� alo.edu or clip the address label and return it with the correct address to: Bu� alo Engineer, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Bu� alo, 208 Davis Hall, Bu� alo, NY 14260.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 1
In alumni arena, UB-ASCE member Maria Camila Lopez Ruiz works on the team’s entry into the steel bridge competition. Above, Mitchell Hares, Neil Ferguson and build captain Wil Nagengast are timed while they assemble the bridge. Their e� orts paid o� with a fi rst place fi nish. Read more about how being a member of this student club enriches the student experience and prepares them to enter the fi eld of civil engineering in our feature story on page 10. Photos by the Onion Studio, Inc.
DEPARTMENTS02 | NEWS BRIEFS
08 | RESEARCH
10 | FEATURE STORY
14 | FACULTY
20 | STUDENTS
26 | ALUMNI
30 | ENGINEERING PARTNERSHIPS
32 | ENGAGEMENT
36 | DELTA SOCIETY
38 | CLASS NOTES
CONTENTS
02
08
10
14
32 26
20
Onion Studio, Inc.
Onion Studio, Inc.
Onion Studio, Inc.
Douglas Levere
ON THE COVER AND ABOVE
Onion Studio, Inc.
2 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
Powering a pacemaker with your heart? T he implantable pacemaker, a medical marvel that has extended
millions of lives since its invention nearly 60 years ago, is getting
a 21st century makeover.
First came a wireless version; these pacemakers, which are AAA
battery-sized and placed inside the heart via a catheter through the leg,
are being tested in humans in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Now, researchers are developing technology to make these devices
battery-free. The advancement is based upon a piezoelectric system
that converts vibrational energy—created inside the chest by each
heartbeat—into electricity to power the pacemaker.
“Essentially, we’re creating technology
that will allow pacemakers to be powered
by the very heart that they are regulating,”
said M. Amin Karami, assistant professor of
mechanical engineering, who is leading the
research.
The technology may eliminate the
medical risks, costs and inconvenience of
having a battery replacement every fi ve to 12
years for millions of people worldwide.
The idea of heart-powered pacemakers came to Karami a� er doing
PhD work on piezoelectric applications for unmanned aerial vehicles
and bridges. He wanted to apply that knowledge to the human body.
The heart was an obvious choice because of its relative strength and
constant motion.
“To see the heart in motion—even an animation—is to be
awestruck,” said Karami. “It moves signifi cantly. In turn, that
movement creates energy that we’re just now fi guring out how to
harvest.”
He initially designed a fl at piezoelectric structure for a
conventional pacemaker. A prototype generated enough power to keep
the pacemaker running at a range of seven to 700 beats per minute.
Karami, who is already talking to device-makers, is building the
new prototype and expects to have animal tests done within two
years. From there, it should be ready for human trials and, eventually,
approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The research is supported by UB’s Translational Pilot Studies
Fund, an initiative of UB’s Offi ce of the Vice President for Research and
Economic Development.
>> Cory Nealon
Douglas Levere
M. Amin Karami
NEWS BRIEFS
A state of constant motion
2 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 3
G raphene is a wonder material saddled
with great expectations. Discovered
in 2004, it is one million times thinner than a
human hair, 300 times stronger than steel and is
the best known conductor of heat and electricity.
These qualities could, among other things, make
computers faster, batteries more powerful and
solar panels more effi cient.
Another option is to use a 3-D printer. In this
scenario, scientists typically mix graphene with
a polymer or other thickening agent. This helps
keep the structure from falling apart. But when
the polymer is removed via thermal process, it
damages the delicate structure.
However, the material is diffi cult to
manipulate beyond its two-dimensional form.
A research team comprised of engineers
from UB, Kansas State University and the Harbin
Institute of Technology in China may have
solved that problem.
A study published in the journal Small
describes how the team used a modifi ed 3-D
printer and frozen water to create lattice-shaped
cubes and a three-dimensional truss with
overhangs using graphene oxide. The structures
could be an important step toward making
graphene commercially viable in electronics,
medical diagnostic devices and other industries.
“Graphene is notoriously diffi cult to
manipulate, but the structures we built show
that it’s possible to control its shape in three-
dimensional forms,” said Chi Zhou, an assistant
professor of industrial and systems engineering
and a member of the Sustainable Manufacturing
and Advanced Robotic Technologies (SMART)
Community of Excellence.
In their experiments, the research team
mixed the graphene oxide with water. They then
printed the lattice framework on a surface of
-25°C. The graphene is sandwiched between the
layers of frozen ice, which act as a structural
support.
A� er the process is completed, the lattice
is dipped in liquid nitrogen, which helps form
even stronger hydrogen bonds. The lattice
then is placed in a freeze dryer, where the ice is
changed into gas and removed. The end result is
a complex, three-dimensional structure made of
graphene aerogel that retains its shape at room
temperature.
The researchers plan to build on their
fi ndings by investigating how to create aerogel
structures formed of multiple materials.
In addition to Zhou, authors include
Qiangqiang Zhang and Hui Li, students at
Harbin, Feng Zhang, a student at UB, and
Dong Lin, assistant professor, and Sai Pradeep
Medarametla, a student, both from Kansas State
University.
The research team also received support
from UB faculty members Mark Swihart,
Distinguished Professor of Chemical and
Biological Engineering and director of the New
York State Center of Excellence in Materials
Informatics, and Jonathan Lovell, assistant
professor of biomedical engineering.
>> Cory Nealon
The secret to 3-D graphene is to freeze it
“Graphene is notoriously di� cult to manipulate, but the structures we built show that it’s possible to control its shape in three-dimensional forms,” said Chi Zhou, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering and a member of the Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Robotic Technologies (SMART) Community of Excellence.
Douglas Levere
Graphene is incredibly light, so it has no problem resting on top of this cotton-like material.
4 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
One of the latest
advancements
in the fi eld of
two-dimensional
semiconducting
materials centers
on molybdenum
disulfi de (MoS),
which is being
explored for use in
optoelectronics.
Recently, a team co-led by Qiaoqiang Gan,
assistant professor of electrical engineering,
placed a single layer of MoS molecules on
top of a photonic structure called an optical
nanocavity made of aluminum oxide and
aluminum.
The results, described in the paper “MoS
monolayers on nanocavities: enhancement
in light-matter interaction” and published in
the journal 2D Materials, are promising.
“The nanocavity we have developed has
many potential applications,” said Gan. “It
could potentially be used to create more
effi cient and fl exible solar panels, and faster
photodetectors for video cameras and other
devices. It may even be used to produce
hydrogen fuel through water splitting more
effi ciently.”
Zhiwen Liu, professor of electrical
engineering at Penn State University Park, is
the paper’s other co-lead author. Additional
authors include UB graduate students
Haomin Song and Dengxin Ji; and Penn State
University Park students Corey Janisch (also
a co-lead researcher), Chanjing Zhou, Ana
Laura Elias and Mauricio Terrones.
The research was supported by grants
from the National Science Foundation, the
U.S. Army Research Offi ce and the U.S. Air
Force Offi ce of Scientifi c Research.
UB is among a select group of academic
institutions, industry partners and
nonprofi ts tapped by the White House
to form an advanced manufacturing
hub designed to sustain the nation’s
manufacturing resurgence.
President Barack Obama announced
in June that the Smart Manufacturing
Leadership Coalition (SMLC)—a consortium
of nearly 200 organizations, including UB,
from more than 30 states—has formed a
partnership with the Department of Energy
to oversee the hub, which is called the Smart
Manufacturing Innovation Institute (SMII).
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SMII
includes fi ve manufacturing centers that
will focus on local technology transfer and
workforce development.
UB will operate in the Northeast
Regional Manufacturing Center led by
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Industrial
partners include: GLOBALFOUNDRIES,
United Technologies, Corning Glass, Saint-
Gobain, Praxair, Pfi zer, EWI, MathWorks,
Analog Devices and Eastman Business Park.
UB has long recognized the importance
of advanced manufacturing to the local
and national economies. Supporters of the
new partnership include UB’s New York
State Center of Excellence in Materials
Informatics, the Sustainable Manufacturing
and Advanced Robotic Technologies
(SMART) Community of Excellence, and its
recently launched Department of Materials
Design and Innovation, a collaboration
between the College of Arts of Sciences and
SEAS.
Go ahead, rant about the snow on Twitter. It can ease tra� c on slippery, congested roads.
That’s the crux of a study that examined how weather-related tweets can be analyzed to bolster computer models which, among other things, recommend safe driving speeds and which roads motorists should avoid during inclement weather.
“It doesn’t matter if someone tweets about how beautiful the snow is or if they’re complaining about unplowed roads. Twitter users provide an unparalleled amount of hyperlocal data that we can use to improve our ability to direct tra� c during snowstorms and
adverse weather,” said Adel Sadek, director of UB’s Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics, and the study’s lead author.
Co-authors of the study, which was published in the journal Transportation Research Record, include Qing He, Stephen Still Assistant Professor in Transportation Engineering and Logistics; Jing Gao, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Ming Ni, a PhD candidate at UB; and Lei Lin, who earned a PhD from UB in 2015.
The study was funded in part by the Transportation Informatics Tier I University Transportation Center.
Qiaoqiang Gan
This “nanocavity” may improve ultrathin solar panels, video cameras and other optoelectronic devices
NEWS BRIEFS
“It’s snowing like crazy here” and other tweets can boost computer models that guide tra� c.
UB joins White House’s new Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute
Tweets may ease winter travel
An optical nanocavity made, from top to bottom, of molybdenum disulfi de (MoS2), aluminum oxide and aluminum.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 5
How do you teach robotic insects to see? By
equipping them with tiny laser-powered sensors
that act as eyes, enabling the miniature machines to
sense the size, shape and distance of approaching
objects.
“Essentially, it’s the same technology that
automakers are using to ensure that driverless
cars don’t crash into things,” said Karthik Dantu,
assistant professor in the Department of Computer
Science and Engineering. “Only we need to shrink
that technology so it works on robot bees that are
no bigger than a penny.”
Dantu is the principal investigator on the
UB-led research project, funded by a $1.1 million
National Science Foundation grant, which includes
researchers from Harvard University and the
University of Florida.
Researchers have shown that robot bees
are capable of tethered fl ight and moving while
submerged in water. One of their limitations,
however, is a lack of depth perception.
This is problematic
if you want the bee
to avoid fl ying into a
wall or have it land in
a fl ower, said Dantu,
who worked on the
RoboBee project
as a postdoctoral
researcher at Harvard
before joining UB in
2013.
The UB team will address the limitation by
outfi tting the robot bee with remote sensing
technology called lidar, the same laser-based sensor
system that is making driverless cars possible.
The technology the team develops likely won’t
be limited to robot insects. The sensors could be
used, among other things, in wearable technology;
endoscopic tools; and smartphones, tablets and
other mobile devices.
Robot bees fl y and swim, soon they’ll have laser eyes
Karthik Dantu
Robot insects may someday be used in agriculture and disaster relief situations.
Photo credit: Microrobotics Lab, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
Few recent technological
advancements have generated as
much buzz as self-driving cars. From
Silicon Valley to Detroit and beyond,
researchers are working around the
clock to bring autonomous vehicles to
the masses.
While that’s still a few years
away, the Buff alo Niagara region got a
preview of the future with a self-driving
vehicle demonstration in a parking lot
at UB’s North Campus.
The event featured a self-driving
SUV developed by Southwest Research
Institute, a Texas-based nonprofi t
applied research and development
organization. The vehicle is designed to
improve safety at roadside construction
projects.
Southwest Research Institute
partnered with UB’s Institute for
Sustainable Transportation and
Logistics, and the UB-headquartered
Transportation Informatics Tier 1
University Transportation Center,
both of which conduct cutting-edge
transportation research, to coordinate
the event, which took place on June 24,
2016.
Erie County, which is exploring
implementing Southwest Research
Institute’s technology in roadside
operations, was also a partner in the
event.
Self-driving car at UB highlights cutting-edge transportation research
Douglas Levere
Tweets may ease winter travel
Associate Professor Emerita Deb Walters (faculty,
1983-2002, Department of Computer Science and
Engineering) completed "Kayak for Safe Passage
Kids," her 2,503 mile solo kayak tour from Maine to
Guatemala, on February 10, 2016.
Walters and her kayak raised over $400,000
for Safe Passage, a charity working in Guatemala
City since 1999, that brings hope, education, and
opportunity to the children and families making their
lives around the city’s garbage dump.
“They have such grit and determination to work
for a better future for their children,” Walters says of
the mothers she has talked to during her many trips
to the country, “and they inspire me to demonstrate
that with a little grit and perseverance, an ordinary
person like me can do extraordinary things.”
Kayaking for kids
6 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
Despite gains by natural gas, wind and solar, coal remains the top
electricity producer in the United States.
Accordingly, interest is strong in developing technology that curbs
unwanted effects, such as greenhouse gas emissions, that result from coal’s
combustion.
To address the matter, the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a
$1.9 million grant to a research team led by the University at Buffalo. The
researchers will develop a membrane to remove carbon dioxide, which
makes up the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions, from gasified coal
before its combustion.
“The idea is to decarbonize coal before burning it,” said Haiqing Lin, the
grant’s principal investigator and an assistant professor in the Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Lin will work with UB Distinguished Professor Mark T. Swihart, who
serves as executive director of the New York State Center of Excellence in
Materials Informatics.
Also working on the project are Helios-NRG, LLC of Amherst, New York;
Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. of Newark, California; and the
National Carbon Capture Center in Wilsonville, Alabama.
The team will develop and test a polymer-based membrane outfitted
with palladium-based nanoparticles. The polymers act as a filter, largely
preventing the passage of carbon dioxide, while the palladium acts
as a bridge that enables hydrogen gas to more easily pass through the
membrane.
Theoretically, the hydrogen gas would pass through the membrane
and then be burned which, in turn, would power turbines. Meanwhile,
the carbon dioxide could be geologically sequestered, and used to create
chemicals or pumped underground for enhanced oil recovery.
A new spin on data transferA UB-led research team is pushing laser technology forward using a light
manipulation technique called orbital angular momentum, which distributes
the laser in a corkscrew pattern with a vortex at the center.
The team was able to shrink the vortex laser, usually too large to work on
today’s computers, to the point where it is compatible with computer chips.
Because the laser beam travels in a corkscrew pattern, encoding information
into different vortex twists, it’s able to carry 10 times or more the amount of
information than that of conventional lasers, which move linearly.
The vortex laser is one component of many, such as advanced
transmitters and receivers, that ultimately will be needed to continue
building more powerful computers and datacenters.
The study was published by the journal Science. Authors are assistant
professor Liang Feng and professor Natalia M. Litchinitser (co-leads), PhD
candidates Pei Miao and Zhifeng Zhang, assistant research professor Jingbo
Sun, and postdoctoral researcher Wiktor Walasik, all from the Department
of Electrical Engineering; and Stefano Longhi, professor at the Polytechnic
University of Milan in Italy.
The research was supported with grants from the U.S. Army Research
Office, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.
Filtering the carbon from coal
NEWS BRIEFS
This image shows a vortex laser on a chip. Because the laser beam travels in a corkscrew pattern, encoding information into di£erent vortex twists, it’s able to carry 10 times or more the amount of information than that of conventional lasers.
UB awarded $2.6 million from SUNY to recruit top faculty researchers for biomedical engineering and UB RENEW
UB has been awarded two grants worth $2.6 million to hire senior faculty members who
will grow UB’s research expertise in biomedical engineering, energy and the environment,
and other disciplines, while providing students with world-class educational opportunities.
The grants, from the State University of New York’s Investment and Performance Fund,
are part of a statewide commitment of roughly $8 million to numerous SUNY campuses in
support of SUNY’s Empire Innovation Program, which helps campus efforts to recruit faculty
with proven track records of externally-funded research.
At UB, the money will support the university’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and
UB RENEW, a cross-disciplinary institute that tackles pressing environmental issues.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 7
UB has begun telling its story world-
wide in a more compelling and cohesive way
with the launch of a new identity and brand
strategy for the institution.
The new strategy features two key
components, both of which resulted from a
year-long process involving the expertise
and input of thousands of alumni, students,
faculty, staff , prospective students and
community members.
The fi rst is a brand framework that
conveys UB’s distinctiveness. Based around
a concept called “Here is How,” it presents
UB as an extraordinary university in an
extraordinary city – an institution that
represents not only a place, but also a
unique way of getting things done.
The second is to align all of UB’s schools
and institutes under one offi cial name, the
University at Buff alo, with the interlocking
UB as the offi cial university logo. The State
University of New York will continue to
be a major part of the university’s name,
particularly for international markets
where the SUNY name is widely known and
valued.
The Division of Athletics and all UB
athletics teams will use “UB” and “Buff alo”
as their primary identities. Athletics is
introducing a new spirit mark for the UB
Bulls and will use the tagline “New York’s
Public Powerhouse” to emphasize UB’s
strength in New York State and its stature as
one of the nation’s leading public research
universities.
The university will align the “Here is
How” framework throughout the university
in the coming years.
The Department of Computer Science
and Engineering (CSE) is celebrating 50
years of innovation and invention in the
fi eld of computer science and engineering,
by honoring and celebrating its world-class
faculty, staff , students, alumni and friends.
A Distinguished Speaker Series comprised
of successful female computer scientists
started on November 10, 2016 with Nancy
Amato from Texas A & M University. Future
speakers include Wendi Heinzelman (February
2), Ellen Zegura (April 20), Barbara Ryder (May
4) and Cynthia Rudin (May 11). The all-female
line-up is also a way to commemorate the 110th
birth year of Grace Hopper, a pioneer in the
fi eld of computer science.
On September 28, 29, 30 and October
2017, a four-day celebration will be held
that includes tours, notable guest speaking
engagements, sessions with students to discuss
current research activities, a golf outing, and
a bon voyage brunch. For more information,
visit http://cse.bu alo.edu/alumni.
Department of Computer Science and Engineeringcelebrates 50 years
UB introduces a new framework to tell its story
CDSE Days spotlight big data and supercomputingInterested in personalized medicine?
Want to know how IBM’s Watson outsmarted
“Jeopardy!” champ Ken Jennings? Curious
about big data and the world’s most powerful
supercomputers?
These topics—and much more—were
discussed at this year’s CDSE Days, a six-day
program at the University at Buff alo that
explored how big data and high-performance
computing have become essential to scientifi c
progress, economic competitiveness, national
security, medicine and other issues.
The program brought some of the nation’s
most preeminent scholars of data-enabled
science to Buff alo. Highlights included:
A keynote lecture by David Higdon,
professor in the Social Decision Analytics
Laboratory at the Biocomplexity Institute of
Virginia Tech, entitled “Connecting model-
based predictions to reality.”
A workshop by Gandolfo “Randy” Messina,
worldwide public sector manager, IBM Watson
Analytics, entitled “An introduction to Watson
analytics.”
A keynote lecture by Thom H. Dunning
Jr., director of the National Center for
Supercomputing Applications at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, entitled
“Leading-edge computers and the extraordinary
research they enable.”
A keynote lecture by Mark Ainsworth,
professor of applied mathematics at Brown
University, entitled “Multigrid at scale?”
CDSE stands for Computational and
Data-enabled Science and Engineering, a new
doctoral program at UB.
Thom Dunning, center, talks with UB’s Michel Dupuis (left) and Abani Patra (right) during CDSE Days. Dunning was one of three keynote speakers at the six-day event, which brought some of the nation’s most prominent scholars in the fi eld of data-enabled science to UB.
1,
C arrots and apples not only taste diff erent,
they make distinct sounds when chewed.
This may seem like trivial knowledge, but it’s
not in the laboratory of computer scientist Wenyao
Xu, who is creating a library that catalogs the
unique sounds that foods make as we bite, grind and
swallow them.
The library is part of a so� ware package that
supports AutoDietary, a high-tech, food-tracking
necklace being developed by Xu and researchers at
Northeastern University in China.
Described in a study published February by
IEEE Sensors Journal, AutoDietary is like Fitbit and
other wearable devices. Only instead of tracking
burned calories, it monitors caloric intake—in other
words, what we eat—at the neck.
“There is no shortage of wearable devices that
tell us how many calories we burn, but creating a
device that reliably measures caloric intake isn’t
so easy,” says Xu, assistant professor of computer
science.
AutoDietary wraps around the back of the
neck like a choker necklace. A tiny high-fi delity
microphone—about the size of a zipper pull —
records the sounds made during mastication and
as the food is swallowed. That data is sent to a
smartphone via Bluetooth, where food types are
recognized.
The study describes how 12 test subjects, male
and female, ages 13 to 49, were given water and six
types of food: apples, carrots, potato chips, cookies,
peanuts and walnuts. AutoDietary was able to
accurately identify the correct food and drink 85
percent of the time.
“Each food, as it’s chewed, has its own voice,”
said Xu, who says the device could someday help
people suff ering from diabetes, obesity, bowel
disorders and other ailments by enabling them to
better monitor their food intake and thus improve
how they manage their conditions.
Xu plans future studies to build upon his
library by testing diff erent foods and recording
the sounds they make. He also plans to refi ne
the algorithms used to diff erentiate the foods to
improve AutoDietary’s ability to recognize what’s
being eaten.
While promising, a wearable necklace that
measures sound has limitations when used alone.
For example, it cannot diff erentiate similar foods
such as frosted corn fl akes and regular corn fl akes.
It also can’t distinguish the ingredients of complex
foods, such as soup or chili.
To address these limitations, Xu is planning
a biomonitoring device that would complement
AutoDietary. The device, which is under
development, would be activated once the necklace
recognizes that the user is eating a general category
of food.
The biomonitor would then determine the
nutritional value of the food via blood sugar levels
and other measurements. The system then gathers
and presents this information on a smartphone,
while providing suggestions on healthier eating.
The beauty of the system, Xu says, is that the
user isn’t overwhelmed by a continuous stream of
information. The system is only active as food is
consumed and immediately a� er.
>> Cory Nealon
This necklace ‘hears’ what you eat
Wenyao Xu
Prototype display of the mobile appfor AutoDietary.
Prototype of the AutoDietary food-tracking system.
RESEARCH
The food-tracking wearable device could helpfi ght diabetes, obesity, bowel disorders and more
8 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
fi ght diabetes, obesity, bowel disorders and more
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 9
B ring the drugs, hold the suds.
That summarizes a promising new drug-
making technique designed to reduce serious
allergic reactions and other side eff ects from
anti-cancer medicine, testosterone and other
drugs that are administered with a needle.
The innovative process removes potentially
harmful additives—primarily soapy substances
known as surfactants—from common injectable
drugs. The breakthrough is described in a
study, “Therapeutic Surfactant-Stripped
Frozen Miscelles,” published in Nature
Communications.
“We’re excited because this process can be
scaled up, which could make existing injectable
drugs safer and more eff ective for millions of
people suff ering from serious diseases and
ailments,” said Jonathan F. Lovell, assistant
professor of biomedical engineering and the
study’s corresponding author.
Pharmaceutical companies use surfactants
to dissolve medicine into a liquid solution,
a process that makes medicine suitable for
injection. While eff ective, the process is seldom
effi cient. Solutions loaded with surfactant
and other nonessential ingredients can carry
the risk of causing anaphylactic shock, blood
clotting, hemolysis and other side eff ects.
Researchers have tried to address this
problem in two ways, each with varying degrees
of success.
Some have taken the so-called “top down”
approach, in which they shrink drug particles
to nanoscale sizes to eliminate excess additives.
While promising, the method doesn’t work
well in injectable medicine because the drug
particles are still too large to safely inject.
Other researchers work from the “bottom
up,” using nanotechnology to build new drugs
from scratch. This may yield tremendous
results; however, developing new drug
formulations takes years, and drugs are coupled
with new additives that create new side eff ects.
The technique under development at UB
diff ers because it improves existing injectable
drug-making methods by taking the unusual
step of stripping away all of the excess
surfactant.
In laboratory experiments, researchers
dissolved 12 drugs, one at a time, into a
surfactant called Pluronic. The dissolved
drugs included cabazitaxel, an anti-cancer
drug; testosterone; and cyclosporine, an
immunosuppressant used during organ
transplants.
Then, by lowering the solution’s
temperature to 4 degrees Celsius (most drugs
are made at room temperature), they were able
to remove excess Pluronic via a membrane,
resulting in drugs that contain 100 to 1,000 times
less excess additives.
“For the drugs we looked at, this is as close
as anyone has gotten to introducing pure,
injectable medicine into the body,” said Lovell.
“Essentially, it’s a new way to package drugs.”
The fi ndings are signifi cant, he says,
because they show that many injectable drug
formulations may be improved through an
easy-to-adopt process. Future experiments are
planned to further refi ne the method, Lovell
said.
The research is supported by a National
Institutes of Health grant.
>> Cory Nealon
Making injectable medicine saferResearchers remove excess additives from drugs, which could reduce the odds of serious allergic reactions and other side e£ ects
The food-tracking wearable device could helpfi ght diabetes, obesity, bowel disorders and more
Drug particles, minus excess surfactant, suspended in an injectable solution.
Sandy Kicman
A team of researchers led by Jonathan Lovell has developed a new technique to make injectable medicine safer.
10 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
FEATURE STORY
CIVIL COMPETITIONUB-ASCE student teamwork builds bridges—and more—to help reach career goals
From left to right, Mitchell Hares, Neil Ferguson and build captain Wil Nagengast assemble their bridge.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 11
By Jim Bisco and Sarah D'Iorio
T here are no academic credits or grades. It can be a grueling,
year-long eff ort of skill and sweat. And it's totally in the
students' hands as to how much they put into the projects and
what they get out of them.
Such are the team members of the University at Buff alo
Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers
(UB-ASCE), who have the passion and drive to design and build
projects for regional competitions that hopefully score high
enough to qualify them to go on to nationals.
"It's a vibrant group of civil engineering students who are
really interested in their chosen line of study," says Todd Snyder,
SEAS instructional support specialist, who has served as UB-
ASCE’s faculty advisor since 2008.
While the UB chapter has a long history of impressive results
since its inception in 1964, the club has signifi cantly increased its
membership and its rankings under Snyder's watch. Last year,
the chapter earned the ASCE Distinguished Chapter Award for
Region I, which recognized UB as the most outstanding student
organization among the 48 student chapters in its region, which
includes New York, New Jersey, the New England states and
Puerto Rico. The chapter was further recognized by the ASCE
New York State Council with the 2014 Outstanding Student
Chapter Award.
In the National Student Steel Bridge Competition, the UB
team has fi nished in the top ten for the last three consecutive
years out of over 200 competitors worldwide.
While the competition categories stay the same every
year—steel bridge, concrete canoe and seismic design—the rules
change, so even though the team can build on previous designs,
there are always new challenges to overcome.
"They start talking about next year right a� er the previous
competition ends," said Snyder. "On the way home (from the
competition), they'll start debriefi ng to fi gure out what could
have gone better and what went well."
The excitement builds throughout the year. Recent graduate
Ryan O’Malley, who was a long-standing steel bridge team
member, said, “The team's success correlates with the increased
passion and dedication that each member has for the competition
and the team."
“The project gives us an opportunity to take a given problem
statement, and create a bridge that is designed, fabricated,
and constructed by UB students. It provides a hands-on look
at structural analysis, member fabrication, and construction
concerns similar to what a practicing engineer may have to
deal with,” said Bryce Mazurowski, who served as a co-project
manager on the 2016 steel bridge team.
The student teams work on their projects under the
mentorship of experienced engineers such as Larry Mathews
and John Gast, practitioner advisors of the steel bridge
contingent. Both are members of the Association of Bridge
Construction and Design, Western New York Chapter, which
provides fi nancial and additional support to the students.
Mathews, a 1969 SEAS graduate recently honored as SEAS
Mentor of the Year, inspects bridges across New York State for
Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. "I try to pass whatever I do on to the
students," he says. "We sometimes run across unusual problems
or issues while we are out in the fi eld, so I bring them back
and ask the students to analyze them and recommend creative
solutions."
The UB team crosses the fi nish line and celebrates their speedy
completion during the 2016 ASCE Upstate New York Region Student
Conference. UB placed fi rst and went on to fi fth overall at the
national competition.
"I have made lifelong friendships with people who are passionate about the same things as me. I grew great relationships
with professional engineers and each year as students graduated, my network with working civil engineers has grown.”
Adrianne Richardson, President, UB-ASCE Executive Board (pictured far left) .
Chad Cooper
Onion Studio, Inc.
12 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
Together with Gast, a steel bridge erection consultant, they help pave
the way toward jobs for team members. "If you watch the students in
action, you see their leadership ability or their intensity or commitment,
and that's better than an interview," explains Mathews.
Gast says all the team members are very sharp and destined to
become outstanding engineers. “They all do well, but the students
who take on the team leadership usually stand out from the crowd.
Contractors or engineering firms just grab these students a�er
graduation—I call them first-rounders.”
Snyder says that the club consistently elects excellent student
leadership year a�er year, most likely a result of outgoing officers
actively working to identify future leaders and grooming them by
sending them to the annual ASCE student leadership conference.
Francis Mahaney, a junior civil engineer with Clark Patterson Lee
and a former concrete canoe team member, served as club president in
his senior year, 2010-11. “I was working two jobs, one was an internship
they wanted me to continue through the year (yep, the internship was
thanks to ASCE, as is typical). We learned project management from the
overall budgeting of $25,000 for the club, managing three design teams,
and organizing attendance, logistics, and the experience of 30+ students
at two major conferences not including a plethora of other events
throughout the year.”
Mahaney, who is also a member of the SEAS Young Alumni Board
and treasurer of the UB Engineering Alumni Association, continues to
be fully engaged in ASCE activities as an alumnus. He is vice president
of the Buffalo Section of ASCE and helps secure over $3,000 each year in
funding for student scholarships and activities, volunteers at various
ASCE-related events, and provides mentorship to students.
Timothy Van Oss, a Civil Engineer I at Mott MacDonald and a 2016
alumnus, served as treasurer and president of the club a�er participating
on both the bridge and canoe teams. “The experience as an officer definitely
helps in terms of people management, showing what employers look for in
employees,” he said.
Van Oss has returned to the club as a practitioner advisor, providing
mentoring and career advice to the students—inspired by his advisor,
Jason Havens, who he says helped shape him to become the kind of leader
he wanted to be.
Former team member Havens, who is now a project engineer and
manager with Clark Patterson Lee and president of Rusty Nickel Brewing
Company, held nearly every office in the chapter. Since graduating in 2005,
he has returned as a practitioner advisor, mentoring nearly 1,000 students
over a decade, hiring just shy of a dozen for the firm where he works, and
assisting in the placement of dozens more.
Havens, president-elect of the Buffalo section of ASCE, helped
implement many initiatives over the years that have assisted in making
the experience of ASCE student members more productive. “The golf
tournament, resume review course, shadow program, PR training
seminars, an elementary school outreach program, monthly section
meetings, budget meetings, younger member outreach and exit counseling
groups, collaborative projects and, most recently, the UB Bulls football
tailgate, have evolved into staples of the annual program between the
Buffalo Section and Student Chapter,” said Havens.
He passed the advisor torch to his former mentee Van Oss, who
presented him with the SEAS Mentor of the Year award this past spring.
Havens continues to stay involved with his alma mater by serving on the
SEAS Young Alumni Board.
Much hiring happens through the club, notes Snyder, as he is contacted
regularly by employers interviewing students who list ASCE among
their activities. “By being active in these clubs, you’re self-identifying as
somebody who is not just showing up for class but rather it’s an indicator
that you are really actively involved in your chosen line of work,” he said,
adding, “You get the best students for this—they totally want to do it.”
FEATURE STORY
"If you watch the students in action, you see their ability or their intensity or commitment, and that's better than an interview," said Larry Mathews, '69 graduate of SEAS. Mathews (left) and John Gast traveled with the team to the 2015 National Student Steel Bridge Competition in Kansas City, Missouri.
UB ASCE steel bridge team members and advisors, Todd Snyder and John Gast, traveled to Provo, Utah in May to compete in the 2016 National Steel Bridge Competition.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 13| 13
2012In 2012, UB’s concrete canoe team placed second overall in the ASCE Upstate New York Student Conference with their canoe, “Monkey Business,” which was embellished with colored concrete. Teams are typically judged on engineering design and construction principles, a technical design report, a formal business presentation, and the performance of their canoes and paddlers in fi ve diff erent race events.
“Aldebaran” (2014) was named after the brightest star in the constellation Taurus, or the “Fiery Eye of the Bull.” The students utilized glow-in-the-dark concrete to form Taurus and other constellations seen in the night sky. UB was the fi rst team in North America to use the glow-in-the-dark aggregate in a canoe.
2013UB’s 2013 concrete canoe “Onguiaahra” was designed in the theme of the Niagara Falls region from a Native American perspective. The interior of the canoe features a mini waterfall on either end, and the exterior depicts a thunderstorm scene. It is now on display at the Rusty Nickel Brewing Company in West Seneca, N.Y., owned by alumnus Jason Havens, BS ‘05.
2015“Calcestruzzo,” which translates to concrete in Italian, was created by the 2015 concrete canoe team in the style of a Venetian gondola. The team successfully implemented a pretensioning system, eliminating all fl exural cracks in the canoe.
Members of UB’s 2016 concrete canoe team paddle “Bulldozer” on Lake LaSalle during the ASCE Upstate New York Student Conference. UB qualifi ed and attended the Concrete Canoe National Competition in Tyler, Texas.
2014
2016
1981UB-ASCE’s concrete canoe team has been making news since the early 1980s. Local TV station WGR-TV interviewed students who were testing their canoe out in Lake LaSalle back in 1981. If you recognize the students or would like to share your memories of the competition, please email us at ub-seas@bu� alo.edu.
Canoe creations through the years
14 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
S even School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
engineers recently received prestigious early
career awards: five earned National Science Foundation
(NSF) CAREER awards, and two were awarded young
investigator awards from the U.S. Army Research
Laboratory, an indication that the university is
attracting some of the world’s brightest young
researchers to the Buffalo Niagara region.
The grants will support research and educational
outreach in cyberinfrastructure, drug delivery,
clean coal technology, improving safety in military
operations, next generation Wi-Fi and how data mining
can help improve various industries.
Recipients of the grants come from six of the
school’s eight departments: biomedical engineering,
chemical and biological engineering, computer science
and engineering, electrical engineering, industrial and
systems engineering, and mechanical and aerospace
engineering.
“These prestigious awards recognize some of our
finest early-career faculty for their outstanding and
innovative research and educational work. These
awards are highly competitive, and to have secured
so many in a single round is a strong indicator of the
excellence of our faculty,” said Liesl Folks, dean of the
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She added
that these faculty members are each on a trajectory to
have a profound impact on their field of expertise.
Seven young engineers receive early career awards
FACULTY
Paul BaumanFaculty Position: Assistant professor
Department: Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
Year joined UB: 2014
Award Type: National Science Foundation
CAREER award
Award amount: $499,306
Computer models help researchers push the boundaries of science in weather
prediction, materials science and countless other fields. But these models can be
improved. For example, they are limited by their lack of ability to incorporate
uncertain information from experimental data. Bauman’s research addresses
this problem by developing cyberinfrastructure that improves models and
enables scientists to better design experiments.
Jing Gao Faculty Position: Assistant professor
Department: Computer Science and
Engineering
Year joined UB: 2012
Award Type: National Science Foundation
CAREER award
Award amount: $500,613
With the proliferation of mobile devices and social media platforms, any person
can publicize observations about any activity, event or object anywhere and at
any time. Being able to harness this information and verify its accuracy is the
focus of Gao’s research, which has the potential to improve the efficiency and cost
of transportation, healthcare and other systems.
Dimitrios Koutsonikolas Faculty Position: Assistant professor
Department: Computer Science and
Engineering
Year joined UB: 2011
Award Type: National Science Foundation
CAREER award
Award amount: $555,385
With the increasing reliance on wireless devices, the telecommunications
industry predicts a 1,000-fold increase in bandwidth demand by 2020. Networks
in use are already stressed. The award will support Koutsonikolas' research,
which focuses on developing next generation Wi-Fi and cellular networks that
aim to solve wireless traffic jams.
“These awards illustrate exciting and
meaningful research underway at the
University at Bu�alo, with early-career
investigators being recognized for innovative
and promising approaches that address
a wide array of society’s most challenging
problems.”
— Venu Govindaraju, vice president for
Research and Economic Development
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 15
Jonathan LovellFaculty Position: Assistant professor
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Year joined UB: 2012
Award Type: National Science
Foundation CAREER award
Award amount: $400,000
Lovell’s research focuses on developing safer and more effi cient ways
to control the delivery of medicine inside the body. The award will
support research to develop tiny sacs that carry drugs to their intended
destination and open up when triggered by light. The method shows
great promise for delivering concentrated doses of medicine and
limiting side eff ects.
Matthew BoltonFaculty Position: Assistant professor
Department: Industrial and Systems
Engineering
Year joined UB: 2014
Award Type: US Army Research
Laboratory Young Investigator award
Award amount: $100,000
Unanticipated human errors can contribute to failures in safety critical/
complex systems, such as Army UAV operations and/or fi re procedures.
Bolton’s research aims to develop a new human error modeling system
that is based on where the person deviates from the instructions or plan of
action. Engineers will be able to use these analyses to discover how human
error could cause a system to fail so they can take corrective action.
Haiqing Lin Faculty Position: Assistant professor
Department: Chemical and Biological
Engineering
Year joined UB: 2013
Award Type: National Science
Foundation CAREER award
Award amount: $500,000
The award will support Lin’s research into clean coal technology. He
is developing a polymer-based membrane to remove carbon dioxide,
which makes up the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions, from
gasifi ed coal before its combustion. The membrane could ultimately
help lessen the impact of burning coal, an abundant natural resource in
the United States and elsewhere, on climate change.
Liang Feng Faculty Position: Assistant professor
Department: Electrical Engineering
Year joined UB: 2013
Award Type: US Army Research
Laboratory Young Investigator Award
Award amount: $149,946
Feng’s research aims to improve information technology by
investigating fundamentals of nanophotonics, exploring unique
photonic materials and developing novel optoelectronic devices. The
award will support his research to develop a novel light state in non-
Hermitian optical materials. The technology off ers great fl exibility
in eff ectively manipulating light transport on-demand, which will
improve Army capabilities.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 15UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
16 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
Rajan Batta, a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
and Diversity in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, received the 2016 Award for Technical Innovation in Industrial Engineering from the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering (IISE). This is the third significant award Batta has received from the IISE —he was also honored with the David F. Baker Distinguished Research Award and Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award.
Michel Bruneau, a professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, received the Raymond C.
Reese Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Established in 1970, the Reese Prize is awarded to the author or authors of a paper that describes a notable achievement in research related to structural engineering, and that indicates and recommends how the research can be applied to design practice.
Venu Govindaraju, a globally recognized expert in machine learning and pattern recognition, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of
Inventors. The peer-nominated honor is given to academic researchers who have created or facilitated outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. Govindaraju is UB’s vice president for research and economic development, and a SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering.
Jonathan Lovell was awarded the Rita Schaefer Young Investigator Award at the Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting. The award
recognizes a high level of originality and ingenuity in a scientific work in biomedical engineering. It is offered each year to stimulate research careers in biomedical engineering. It was created in honor of former BMES Executive Director Rita Schaffer in 2000.
Chunming Qiao, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, received the 2015 Distinguished
Technical Achievement Award from IEEE’s Communications Society (ComSoc) Communications Switching and Routing (CSR) Technical Committee. The award recognizes Qiao’s technical contributions in the fields of communication switching and routing.
Kui Ren has been named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Ren, an associate professor in the Department of Computer
Science and Engineering, was recognized for his “contributions to security and privacy in cloud computing and wireless networks.”
Mark T. Swihart, UB Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Executive Director of UB’s New
York State Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The honor is bestowed on AAAS members by their peers for their efforts to advance science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.
Andrew Whittaker, a professor in the Department of Structural and Environmental Engineering and director
of MCEER, was recently elected a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Fewer than 3.5% of ASCE’s more than 150,000 members hold this prestigious honor. Whittaker also advanced to Fellow of ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute, a grade that distinguishes members as leaders and mentors in the profession.
Teng Wu, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, received the 2016 Alfred Noble
prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The award recognizes a technical paper of exceptional merit whose first author is younger than 35. The award is made to a member of any grade of the ASCE, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc., American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or Western Society of Engineers, for a technical paper in any of their publications. Co-author Ahsan Kareem, Robert M. Moran Professor of Engineering, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, is a co-recipient of the award.
Jennifer L. Zirnheld, Maxwell Technologies Inc. Professor of Electrical Engineering, has been named by INSIGHT into Diversity magazine as
one of 100 Inspiring Women in STEM. The national award recognizes women whose work and achievements are encouraging a new generation of women to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) while also providing support to others working in STEM fields.
FACULTY HONORS AND AWARDSFACULTY
Civil,
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 17
Leading computer scientist Venu Govindaraju has been named vice president for research and economic development at the University at Buff alo. He has served as interim vice president for research and economic development at UB since September 2014.
Under Govindaraju’s leadership, UB’s research enterprise has made a number of signifi cant strides. For example, UB has continued to build its ranks of world-renowned research faculty and signifi cantly advanced interdisciplinary research through the launch of the Communities of Excellence initiative, the Creative Arts Initiative and other major endeavors.
UB also continues to distinguish itself among its peer research institutions nationally and globally, as exemplifi ed by UB’s leadership in National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health research consortia, and the establishment of the UB Clinical and Translational Consortium, made possible by a prestigious $16 million Clinical and Translational Science Award.
A SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, Govindaraju has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than $65 million in research funding. His work focuses on the application of machine learning and pattern recognition.
A native of India who came to UB in the late 1980s as a graduate student, Govindaraju has steadily advanced at the university as a researcher, educator and administrator.
A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, India, Govindaraju received master’s and doctoral degrees in computer science from UB.
Govindaraju named VP for research and economic development
Sudit to lead sponsored programs
A revered scholar, teacher and mentor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Joseph C. Mollendorf has made pioneering contributions to the fi eld of service learning by providing generations of students with invaluable opportunities to take part in groundbreaking research on assistive device technologies.
During his 40-year tenure as a UB faculty member, Mollendorf has led more than 700 students on 450 projects, developing devices
that improve the quality of life for hundreds of people with disabilities and their families. These devices include a wheelchair-accessible exercise station, a bicycle designed for an amputee, a shoulder-steerable tricycle and more. He holds seven U.S. patents—fi ve of which were earned through his work with his students.
Supervisor of the Engineering Machine Shop, Mollendorf is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Teaching and is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He has amassed an impressive record of scholarship, including publishing more than 55 academic papers and 17 book chapters, and receiving more than $11 million in research grants, including 22 years of continuous National Science Foundation funding.
He received a doctorate and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clarkson College of Technology.
Moises Sudit, an entrepreneur, professor and center director, has been appointed UB’s associate vice president for sponsored programs.
In this role, Sudit will work with faculty, deans and others to manage UB’s sponsored funding portfolio, and lead and participate in the university’s eff orts to attract and be awarded large-scale, interdisciplinary sponsored projects, as well as other high-profi le awards that advance UB’s mission across research, education and economic development.
Sudit will oversee UB’s Sponsored Projects Services and the Offi ce of Research Advancement. He has been affi liated with UB since joining the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences as an assistant professor in
1988. He currently is a professor in the school’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and executive director of UB’s Center for Multisource Information Fusion. He grew the center’s research funds by nearly 2,000 percent—to $10 million yearly—during his decade-long tenure there.
Sudit founded Datumtech in 1989, growing the company from a startup to a recognized worldwide supplier of mobile data applications. Nine years later, the company merged with Veridian, which is now General Dynamics, a Virginia-based aerospace and defense company. He also partnered with Bell Mobility and the Lenbrook Group to co-found AirIQ, a Canadian wireless data company.
A native of Peru, Sudit has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s in operations research from Stanford University and a doctorate from Purdue University.
Mollendorf named SUNYDistinguished Teaching Professor
Joseph C. Mollendorf
Venu Govindaraju
Moises Sudit
18 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016 BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
Krishna Rajan named Chair of UB’s newDepartment of Materials Design and Innovation
K rishna Rajan, an internationally
recognized expert on materials
informatics, has been named the Erich
Bloch Endowed Chair of the University at
Buff alo’s new Department of Materials
Design and Innovation (MDI).
Rajan has authored or co-authored
more than 300 publications and has
delivered more than 270 invited lectures
and presentations. He is the founding
editor-in-chief of the new journal
Materials Discovery, and serves on
numerous national and international
panels, including the National Academy
of Sciences’ Material Science and
Engineering Panel at the Army Research
Laboratory.
He has received numerous awards
and recognitions, including most recently
the Alexander von Humboldt Research
Award. The award is given to researchers
who have had a signifi cant impact in
their discipline—in this case, materials
informatics—and are expected to continue
producing cutting-edge achievements.
He received a doctor of science (ScD) in
materials science, minoring in science and
technology policy, from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in 1978, and held
post-doctoral appointments at MIT and
Cambridge University. He was a staff
scientist at the National Research Council
of Canada and served on the faculties at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Iowa
State University.
The Department of Materials Design
and Innovation is a unique collaboration
between the School of Engineering and
Applied Sciences and the College of Arts of
Sciences. A generous donation from Erich
Bloch, a UB alumnus who became a high-
ranking executive at IBM and director
of the National Science Foundation from
1984-1990, helped fund the newly formed
department.
FACULTY
“A world-renowned scholar with an impressive record of research, teaching and service, Krishna will enhance UB’s standing as a premier public research university while advancing important regional and national initiatives that will help Western New York grow as a hub for advanced manufacturing and biotechnology.”
– Liesl Folks, Dean
Onion Studio, Inc.
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
Chang Wen Chen, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, was recognized as “among the most highly respected leaders in the international image and video processing community.” A prolifi c scholar and Fellow of IEEE and
SPIE, he has garnered approximately $10 million in external research funding. He joined UB in 2008.
Jeffrey Errington, an expert in molecular simulation, was recognized for his contributions to molecular modeling methods and simulations that have resulted in advances in the understanding of numerous physical phenomena. He
is a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and SEAS associate dean for undergraduate education. He joined UB in 2001.
Hui Meng was recognized as an expert and leader in two distinct fi elds: experimental fl uid mechanics and cerebral aneurysm and hemodynamics. Meng joined the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 1999, and
was named a research professor in the Department of Neurosurgery in 2004 and adjunct professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2010. Her work has provided the foundation for e� orts to improve diagnostics, early detection, surgical management and treatment of brain aneurysms.
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching
Paul Schifferle (BS ’88, Aerospace, MS ’04, Mechanical) has served as an adjunct instructor since 2002. With nearly three decades of industry experience, including Calspan Aerospace, where he currently is senior director of programs, Schi� erle has taught more than 1,000 students over the course
of his career at UB. His student evaluation ratings are consistently higher than the average for SEAS faculty.
Four receive SUNY Chancellor’s Awards
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 19
Earthquake Engineering Giants:Constantinou joins elite group of Nathan M. Newmark medalists at UB
For almost 30 years, UB has been a leader in earthquake engineering.
Recently, Emeritus professors George Lee, Tsu T. Soong and Andrei
Reinhorn came back to campus, where they met with the most recent
Nathan M. Newmark medalist, Michael Constantinou, in the Structural
and Earthquake Engineering Simulation Laboratory.
The four have all been recognized by the American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE) with the prestigious medal for their signifi cant
contributions to structural engineering and mechanics. UB is the only
institution in the country where four medalists have been named within
15 years: Lee (2000), Soong (2002), Reinhorn (2011) and Constantinou
(2015).
All four are affi liated with the Department of Civil, Structural and
Environmental Engineering. Lee and Soong were instrumental in
securing National Science Foundation
funding for the fi rst National Center for
Earthquake Engineering Research in
1986, and all four have conducted ground-
breaking research in the fi eld of earthquake
engineering.
William J. Rae, SUNY Distinguished
Teaching Professor Emeritus in
the Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering, was inducted
into the Niagara Frontier Aviation &
Space Hall of Fame on May 13, 2016
in recognition of his long career in
aviation. The annual ceremony has
been a highlight for aviation and space
enthusiasts in Western New York since
its beginning in 1985.
While teaching the fundamental properties of aerodynamic
fl ight to students in his fl ight dynamics class, Rae began
developing a theory that explains why a football doesn’t fl y like
a missile or a bullet. His theory demonstrated that “the fl ight of a
football is almost as complicated as the fl ight of an airplane.”
Prior to joining UB in 1983, Rae worked for 30 years as a
research scientist and engineer at the Cornell Aeronautical
Laboratory, now known as the Arvin/Calspan Advanced
Technology Center. In addition to teaching, he served as associate
dean for graduate education of SEAS and chair of the mechanical
engineering undergraduate committee. He retired in 2002.
William Rapaport, Associate Professor Emeritus, Department
of Computer Science and Engineering, received the 2015 Barwise
Prize from the American Philosophical Association (APA). The
prize is awarded annually by the APA committee on philosophy
and computers “for signifi cant and sustained contributions to
areas relevant to philosophy and computing by an APA member,”
according to the association’s website. Rapaport was recognized
for his life-long achievements in research and teaching in the fi eld.
Rapaport, who joined the Department of Computer Science in
1984, has done research and written extensively in the areas of
cognitive science, artifi cial intelligence, computational linguistics,
knowledge representation and reasoning, contextual vocabulary
acquisition, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, critical
thinking, and cognitive development.
He is also interested in science
educational theory and is a recipient
of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Teaching.
He is well known locally for his
interactive Buff alo Restaurant Guide,
which before he closed it earlier this
year, had over one million hits and
included almost 3,100 reviews of
nearly 900 restaurants.
Rae inducted into aviation hall of fame
Rapaport receives APA’s Barwise Prize
Onion Studio, Inc.
George C. Lee, Michael C. Constantinou, Tsu T. Soong and Andrei M. Reinhorn have been recognized by ASCE for their signifi cant contributions to structural engineering and mechanics.
William J. Rae
Nancy Parisi
William Rapaport
20 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
A new project has launched at UB that
will extend the reach of the university’s
Nanosatellite Lab and help protect important
space infrastructure, such as communication
and GPS satellites, from orbital debris.
Spectrometry Observation for Refl ectivity
Analysis (SORA) is a new nanosatellite being
developed by students in the UB Nanosat
Lab under the advisement of John Crassidis,
CUBRC Professor in Space Situational
Awareness and Director of the Center for
Multisource Information Fusion, Department
of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
The 12U cubesat builds on the Glint Analyzing
Data Observation Satellite (GLADOS), which
has been in development in the Nanosat Lab
for about fi ve years.
Thousands of pieces of space debris, also
known as space junk, orbit the Earth and
threaten to collide with and damage satellites.
Like GLADOS, SORA will use light data to
characterize the size, shape and material
properties of space debris. SORA, however,
will have the capability to use diff used light,
which is a much more common source than the
glint lighting used by GLADOS.
“It’s an intense project that takes up a lot
of our time, but it’s very rewarding. To be able
to say that something we designed and built
will be in space in a couple of years is pretty
cool,” said Seamus Lombardo, an aerospace
engineering major and project manager for
GLADOS.
The UB Nanosat Lab is structured
similarly to NASA, with divisions in so� ware,
integration and testing, and power systems.
Most of the funding for the UB Nanosat Lab
comes from the Air Force Research Lab,
through the University Nanosat Program
(UNP), which supports the development of
space science research at U.S. universities.
Five other universities are in UNP-8 with
GLADOS while nine universities are part of
UNP-9 with SORA.
Many students see the lab as an
opportunity to get hands-on experience and
learn skills that they wouldn’t typically learn
until they get to graduate school. Lab members
have gone on to intern at SpaceX, NASA, Air
Force Research Lab (AFRL), Lockheed Martin,
Boeing and Moog.
Maura Sutherland, a sophomore double
majoring in aerospace and mechanical
engineering, greatly attributes her experience
as a Nanosat Lab member to helping her obtain
an internship at SpaceX.
“What you learn in the lab is so
fundamental to what you are doing in the real
world. The skills that I learned, I used at my
internship. I would say my experience is what
really got me that position,” Sutherland said.
Working on SORA and GLADOS has
provided these aspiring engineers with a
hands-on experience that is rare at many
universities.
“We are learning an incredibly broad
range of engineering-related skills, such as
soldering, wiring, working in the clean room
— the list goes on,” said Mara Boardman, a
senior and Tennessee native serving as the
project’s chief engineer for GLADOS.
Boardman added that participation grew
from about 60 students to almost 150 during
the fall semester.
But, the lab isn’t just about building a
satellite; it’s about building a community.
Working on GLADOS for countless hours
alongside fellow classmates has helped team
members form a strong bond. Helping each
other with homework assignments, tutoring
one another or hanging out outside of the lab
has become the norm among lab mates.
“The most important prerequisite isn’t
knowledge; it’s motivation. If you come and
start showing up, people will teach you how to
do things so you can fi gure out how to do them
by yourself. It’s basically just showing us that
you want to learn,” Lombardo said.
With their passion and motivation intact,
the students fi nd themselves inching closer
to their main goal. GLADOS is scheduled to
go to the Air Force by mid-2017, in hopes that
a� er a year of functional testing, it will be
ready to launch by mid-2018. The students will
continue to be responsible for it a� er launch,
observing it from their own mission control
ground station at UB.
Looking to the sky: UB Nanosat Lab's SORA begins adventure
20 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2015 - 2016
GLADOS is a 6U cubesat that will be
launched into low earth orbit to gather
light data on space debris.
UB’s premier space program
Building satellites from concept to launch
STUDENTS
Looking to the sky: UB Nanosat Lab's SORA begins adventure
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 21
“Even though we are handing it to the
Air Force, the project essentially doesn’t end.
Our de-orbit requirement is 25 years, so if
everything goes according to plan, the satellite
will be up there and functioning for a very long
time,” Lombardo says.
“The work we do is really going to play a
big part in the future of spacefl ight, because
tracking all this debris is going to be important
for putting up future satellites, and for eff orts to
go to Mars and other planets,” Sutherland says.
As for the future of the UB Nanosatellite
Lab, Lombardo hopes it will grow into a
community that will make space more
accessible.
“I see the lab growing into something
where we have multiple satellites, can pay
certain members of our staff and maybe
even do in-house testing of certain things
for people in industry,” he says. “We want to
market ourselves as an inexpensive way to get
spacecra� built.”
To learn more about the UB Nanosatellite Lab,
visit http://ubnl.space.
Editor’s Note: This story includes content from
Laura Hernandez (UB Now) and Jenna Dombroski
(EMERGE, UB’s student magazine), and was updated
for Bu alo Engineer by Sarah D’Iorio.
Below: Rachel Suitor (Chief Engineer of SORA), Andrew
Dianetti (Student Principal Investigator) and Seamus
Lombardo (Program Manager of GLADOS) collaborate in
UB’s Nanosatellite Lab. Working on projects for countless
hours alongside fellow classmates has helped lab
members form a strong bond.
Mara Boardman, Chief Engineer of GLADOS, works
in the lab’s new digs in Hochstetter Hall. With more than 100
students now involved in the projects, the ever-expanding
lab relocated after outgrowing its former space in Bell Hall.
Leaving their mark in space
Building satellites from concept to launch
22 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
Shoe design gives UB students win in international 3-D printing competition
STUDENTS
D hruvay Jain traveled to Singapore last
spring to collect some hardware a� er
he and his team members took fi rst place for
their design of a custom-fi t shoe in the 2016
International 3-D Printing Competition.
The competition, organized by the
Singapore Centre for 3-D Printing at Nanyang
Technological University, promotes awareness
and adoption of 3-D printing technologies. This
year's assignment required competitors to
fabricate fashionable and functional eyewear or
shoes.
Jain and fellow graduate students
Priyanka Nikam, Hardik Gandhi and Anshika
Chourdhary, all of the Department of Industrial
and Systems Engineering (ISE), and Weihao
Qu of the Department of Computer Science
and Engineering (CSE)—got together to design
and create a shoe tailored to a person’s unique
preferences and needs. The team was guided by
ISE faculty members Chi Zhou and Lora Cavuoto,
CSE faculty member Wenyao Xu and CSE
research scientist Feng Lin.
The fi nal product was a 2-in-1 shoe that is
customized to the user’s foot with added comfort,
durability, functionality and aesthetics. The shoe
is designed to be worn as a sandal or as a closed
shoe with the use of a simple slide-in system.
The students say they selected “Peace—art
meets technology to shape a better future” as
the name of the shoe to project a message of
world peace. The design features illustrations of
a world map, a dove, olive leaves and the peace
symbol to help convey that message.
“We feel it’s extremely important to
communicate a message through our products
that resonates with the masses and has a social
relevance, too,” says Jain, who led the team eff ort.
Team members began working on the
project in November, months ahead of its
April 8 deadline, and spent much of their time
engrossed in it. Their hard work paid off , as they
won the competition, which includes a top prize
of $10,000.
“What appears to be a simple shoe design
actually involved extensive research and design
challenges,” says Jain. “We were motivated to add
functionalities to the footwear and re-design the
conventional, generic shoe designs.”
As one of the group’s mentors, Zhou watched
the team take advantage of the unique features
of 3-D printing, such as high fl exibility, multi-
functionality and high complexity, to construct
their fi nal product.
“The participation and success of the team
not only enhanced the national and international
visibility of UB in the emerging fi eld of advanced
design and manufacturing,” says Zhou, “it
also facilitated international education and
promoted the innovation and creativity of the
next generation.”
Jain notes that the 3-D printing technology
enables the students to “bring our creative
thoughts to life. It brings together art and
technology to produce some novel innovations
that can pave the way for a better future.”
Adds Zhou: “With this new technology,
the only limitation is our imagination and
innovation.”
While in Singapore, Jain met with UB
alumnus Andrew Tan (BS’15), who welcomed him
on behalf of UB Alumni’s Singapore Chapter.
>> Laura Hernandez
Tau Beta Pi is the only national engineering honor society that represents the entire engineering profession. It recognizes junior and senior engineering students who are in the top 1/8 and 1/5 of their class, respectively. Members in this prestigious organization are eligible for numerous scholarships and fellowships, and many have become distinguished members of society and the profession.
UB is home to the New York Nu Chapter of Tau Beta Pi. The current o¬ cers have created a Young Scholar Award to recognize the top two sophomores (S) and one freshman (F) from each engineering discipline at UB who exemplify the values of the Tau Beta Pi organization. This year’s recipients are:
Biomedical Engineering • Jenna Dombroski (S)
• Ryan Rava (S)
• Kara Wilcox (F)
Chemical and Biological Engineering • Matthew Chow (S)
• Andrew Scull (S)
• Kimberly Vaeth (F)
Civil and Structural Engineering • Justin Bracci (S)
• Nicole Lynn Gerritz (S)
• Jiun Wen Seet (F)
Environmental Engineering • Cody Manzanero (S)
• Jeremy Nyitrai (S)
• Anandharam Mourougassamy (F)
Industrial and Systems Engineering • Adam Behrendt (S)
• Emily Belote (S)
• Paul Larson (F)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering • Stephanie Hahn (S)
• Daniel Laccetti (S)
• Fatak Borhani (F)Members of the winning student team and their faculty advisors.
Tau Beta Pi recognizesoutstanding underclassmen
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 23
A nna Smith never thought she’d be
trying to fi gure out what kind of an
engineer she wanted to be, let alone tasking
an entire class of 5th graders with the same
decision.
Smith’s own transition into engineering
was anything but traditional. She was
working in the beauty industry in Paris,
when she met an engineer who created a
self-buff ering skin peel that was easy on the
skin —she’s been hooked ever since.
Now an undergraduate student in the
Department of Chemical and Biological
Engineering, Smith's newly found passion
is allowing her to make a big impact in the
Buff alo community and inspire others to take
an interest in STEM careers.
Through UB’s National Science
Foundation-funded Interdisciplinary
Science and Education Partnership (ISEP),
she has shared her enthusiasm for science
and engineering by serving as a mentor
to a classroom in Buff alo Public School
#59. The experience motivated her to take
things a step further in her eff orts to get
young children interested in engineering,
and she organized a fi eld trip to UB to allow
the students to participate in interactive
engineering projects.
Students took part in activities such as
water fi ltration design, building computer
games, and devices that aim to cure cancer.
“It was really exciting to see a sparkle
in their eyes a� er they had such a great
experience,” said Smith, who asked the
students to write down what type of engineer
they wanted to be when they grew up at the
conclusion of the fi eld trip.
Smith’s hard work and determination to
be a successful engineer is starting to pay
off . She was recently awarded the prestigious
Goldwater Scholarship, and will receive up to
$7,500 per year to help pay for the cost of her
education to pursue a STEM career.
“I plan to launch my own company based
on products developed from novel research
ideas that I will work on during my PhD and
beyond. In addition to my aspirations to make
advancements in research and bring these
ideas to fruition in industry, I am committed
to serving the community by promoting
the STEM fi elds through outreach and
mentorship programs.”
Smith is doing just that. Not only did
she give the students a day fi lled with
experiential learning, but a chance to decide
what kind of engineer they would grow up
to be.
>> Jashonda Williams
A team of fi ve student engineers developed plans for a massive infl atable heat shield designed to protect spacecraft—and potentially astronauts—from the white-hot heat that objects encounter upon entering Mars' atmosphere.
The team’s work impressed NASA and partner organization, the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA), which called upon college students nationwide to submit proposals for a contest called the Breakthrough, Innovate, and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge.
Contest organizers asked the teams to develop plans for a heatshield much larger than what NASA recently used to land the rover Curiosity on Mars. The contest dovetails with NASA’s ongoing e� orts to develop a new class of
heatshields to carry vehicles that weigh up to 30 tons to Mars.
UB's was among the four top plans chosen by NASA and NIA, along with Georgia Tech, Purdue University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The teams presented their plans to a panel of judges at NASA’s Langley Research Center.
“To have NASA and the NIA evaluate our plan is really an honor,” said Henry Kwan, a senior mechanical engineering major who helped create the plan.
Other team members were seniors Levi Li and Samuel Tedesco, and Anish Kumar and Anibal Martinez, who graduated in 2015. Kemper Lewis, professor and chair, was
the team’s faculty advisor. All are from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Goldwater student engineers her own career path
Students design infl atable heat shield for NASA Mars mission contest
Douglas Levere
Tau Beta Pi recognizesoutstanding underclassmen
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 23
Graduate students from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Dhruvay Jain, Omar A. Siddiqui, Piyush Nain, Amit Nanal, Aniket Khalekar and Abhishek Sarma, solved a diffi cult and ongoing problem for UB’s Police Department related to providing the campus with adequate police coverage while still allowing offi cers to choose desirable schedules.
STUDENTS
Sarah Jo Crofts, biomedical engineering, and Charles Jones, chemical and biological engineering, were the student speakers at this year’s commencement ceremony.
For the fi fth year in a row, UB’s Space Bulls earned a place in the prestigious NASA and NIA RASC-AL Robo-Ops Planetary Rover Competition. The team’s rover navigated the terrain at Johnson Space Center’s Rockyard Facility in Houston, while being tele-operated from UB.
Eight students received awards from the UB Engineering Alumni Association (EAA) during its Fall 2016 awards night. From left are: Ardeshir Raihanian Mashhadi, Matthias J. Schmid (Professor Howard Strauss Memorial Scholarship), Devashish Agarwar, Pedram Johari, Gina Nasca, Daniel Miller, John Coles (BS’09, PhD‘14, EAA board member), Tyler Ocwieja and Wil Nagangast.
Cancan Yang from the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, earned fi rst place in the 2016 Graduate Student Poster competition for her research work on ultra-high performance concrete post-tensioned segmental precast bridge piers for seismic resilience.
Onion Studio, Inc.
Onion Studio, Inc.
Onion Studio, Inc.
More than 50 UB students spent 24 hours this past summer dreaming up futuristic and convenient guest amenities to revolutionize the stadium experience at a hackathon sponsored by Delaware North, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Management and UB Athletics. The winning team, Ping Pro—Fans Experience Freedom!, poses with some of the judges, including engineering dean Liesl Folks (second from left in UB shirt and cap).
The UB Engineering Alumni Association awarded 9 scholarships this past spring. From left: Kurt Bessel (BS '07, MS '08, EAA president), Andrew Kroetsch, Andrea Martinez, Robert DeBortoli, Ava Chai, Steven Co� ed, Mohammad Atif Faiz Afzal (Professor Howard Strauss Memorial Scholarship) and Robert Barnes (former EAA board member). Not shown are: Hillary Chiarella, Elise Martin and Eun Jin Shin.
Yumiao Zhang received the Outstanding Chinese Student Abroad award from Qiyue Zhang, the
Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, at a ceremony held in New York City on April 29, 2016.
Student organizers of the Spring 2016 Career Perspectives and Networking Conference with Keynote Speaker Dexter Johnson, Chief of the Structural Systems Dynamic Branch at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. From left: Andrea Sacco, M. Atif Afzal, Matthew Whittaker, Dexter Johnson, Andrew Kroetsch and Mark Tomaszewski.
Jennifer Merckel received a Galactic Unite Flying Tigresses Scholarship, which supports women who are pursuing careers in aerospace and aviation.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 25
Onion Studio, Inc.
Thiru Vikram, computer and electrical engineering, and Emilie Reynolds and Alexander Zhitelzeyf, both of mechanical engineering, won the 2016 Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition. Their company, Bu� alo Automation Group, makes and sells self-piloting technology and automation tools to ship operators.
Thiru Vikram, computer and electrical engineering, and Emilie Reynolds and Alexander Zhitelzeyf, both of mechanical engineering, won the 2016 Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition. Their company, Bu� alo Automation Group, makes and sells self-piloting technology and automation tools to ship operators.
The UB Engineering Alumni Association awarded 9 scholarships this
Andrew Kroetsch, Andrea Martinez, Robert DeBortoli, Ava Chai, Steven Co� ed, Mohammad Atif Faiz Afzal (Professor Howard Strauss Memorial Scholarship) and Robert Barnes (former EAA board member). Not shown are: Hillary Chiarella, Elise Martin and Eun Jin Shin.
Nancy J. ParisiNancy J. Parisi
Onion Studio, Inc.
Onion Studio, Inc.
Onion Studio, Inc.
26 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
ALUMNI
A shutosh Sharma (PhD '98, Chemical Engineering) returned to
his alma mater in April 2016 to receive the 2016 Distinguished
International Alumni Award from UB's Alumni Association.
Sharma is an internationally renowned scientist who was recently
appointed Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology of
India, a cabinet-level position in the government of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. He is currently on leave as Institute Chair Professor at the
Indian Institute of Technology, where he was the founding coordinator of
the Nanosciences Center and the Advanced Imaging Center at the school
in Kanpur.
A student of the distinguished UB scientist Professor Eli Ruckenstein,
Sharma also delivered the Eighth Annual Eli Ruckenstein Lecture during
his visit, at the invitation of the Department of Chemical and Biological
Engineering. Sharma spent part of his visit meeting with faculty and
students of his home department and learning about their research and
education endeavors. He also visited Professor Ruckenstein, a National
Medal of Science recipient, to discuss current research activities.
The Distinguished International Alumni Award was presented
during a dinner on April 15 honoring Sharma at the home of President
and Mrs. Tripathi. Mary Garlick Roll, president of the UB Alumni
Association, assisted by Wei Loon Leong, Director of International
Alumni Engagement, presented the award on behalf of the association.
During his visit, Sharma and Tripathi signed a Memorandum of
Understanding enabling UB to join a small group of elite U.S. universities
participating in the new doctoral fellowship program off ered by the
Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of India. Sharma also
delivered a presentation on the SERB Fellowship for interested faculty
and students.
The SERB Fellowship provides funding support for up to fi ve
outstanding Indian students admitted to UB doctoral programs in STEM
fi elds each year. UB was invited to participate for the fi rst time this year,
and nominated 10 excellent students admitted to six diff erent doctoral
programs at UB.
>> Wei Loon Leong
Sharma receives 2016 Distinguished International Alumni Award; signs doctoral fellowship agreement
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 27
Giving back to the UB community was the theme of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Annual Awards Night.
About 60 people fi lled Davis Hall to celebrate the achievements of the school’s students and the volunteers who support them in an evening event featuring an award ceremony, networking opportunities, student poster presentations, and dinner.
Kurt Bessel (BS '07 MS '08), President of the UB Engineering and Applied Sciences Alumni Association, served as emcee during the award presentations, which included fi ve awards to exceptional members of the school’s community, as well as scholarships awarded on behalf of the Engineering Alumni Association.
“Our mission is complex—we educate, do research, and serve our community—and the support we receive from our generous donors and volunteers enhances our ability to serve not only UB, but also the Western New York region, New York State, and beyond. We o� er deep and profound thanks to our supporter for all they do for us,” said Liesl Folks, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Other awards included: Corporate Partner of the Year, National Grid; Volunteer Recognition Award, Gina B. Hammond, MS ’73; Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, Dan Magnuszewski, BS ’05; and Mentor of the Year, Jason Havens, BS ’05.
The SEAS Annual Awards Night was held during the fall semester for the 2016-2017 academic year. Awards went to: Bird Technologies, Corporate Partner of the Year; Frank (BS’79) and Mary Puskar, Delta Award; Lawrence Mathews (BS’69), Mentor of the Year; Stephen Buechi (ME’95, BS’93), Volunteer Recognition Award; and Jorge Cueto (MS’13, PhD’16), Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
See pages 24-25 for the Engineering Alumni Association student awards from both award nights.
Meherwan Boyce (MS '64 Mechanical Engineering) is this year’s
recipient of the Cliff ord C. Furnas award. The award recognizes alumni
who have distinguished themselves in a fi eld of science, thereby
bringing honor to the university.
Boyce pioneered online condition-based
performance monitoring—a process which
optimizes power plants, allowing them to
run more effi ciently, stay in compliance
with emissions laws, maximize the turbine
system, and run in a more cost eff ective
manner. He has developed models for
various power plants and petrochemical
complexes that are used around the world.
He has 45 years of experience in turbo
machinery in industry and academia.
He is managing partner and chairman
of the Boyce Consultancy Group LLC,
an alliance of engineering and industrial consultants with keen
knowledge and experience in power generation. As a mechanical
engineering professor at Texas A&M University, Boyce founded the
TurboMachinery Laboratories and Symposium, now in its 45th year.
A� er graduating from UB, Boyce earned his PhD from the
University of Oklahoma.
“Continue to learn every day of your life
and be willing to take risks,” were some of
the words of wisdom shared by this year’s
Engineer of the Year, Patrick F. Abrami
(MS ’75, BS ‘72, Industrial Engineering),
in his address to a crowd of about 250
students, faculty and alumni of the School of
Engineering and Applied Sciences during its
annual Engineering Celebrations event.
Abrami was selected as Engineer of
the Year by the UB Engineering Alumni
Association in recognition of his dedicated
service to the school, where he chairs the Industrial and Systems Engineering’s
Department Advisory Board (DAB), and serves as a member of the school’s Dean’s
Advisory Council.
Abrami is a partner and consultant at Applied Management Systems (AMS), a
Massachusetts-based health care operations consulting fi rm. He is also a member of
the New Hampshire House of Representatives, where he serves as vice chair of the
House Ways and Means Committee.
The award was presented by Kurt Bessel (BS '07, MS ‘08), President of the UB
Engineering Alumni Association.
Boyce honored with 2016 Furnas Award from UB Alumni Association
Abrami named 2016 Engineer of the Year
Meherwan Boyce (right) talks with SEAS students Joe Pace and Brianne Stasiak at UB’s annual alumni awards night celebration.
Kurt Bessel presents Patrick F. Abrami (right) with the 2016 Engineer of the Year award.
Scott and Coleen Stevens (center) received the Delta Award. Also shown, from left, are: Tim Siderakis, Liesl Folks, Bethany Mazur and Kurt Bessel.
Onion Studio, Inc.
Annual SEAS awards night honors students,
alumni, corporate partners and donors
28 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
ALUMNI
1 BUF: Students talk with Engineering Alumni Association board members at the annual football tailgate.
2 BUF: Lester (MS ’64, PhD, ’69 EE) and Karen Gerhardt pose with Ronita Bose, an electrical engineering undergraduate, who is one of the students assisted by the Gerhardt’s scholarship. Gerhardt was honored as the Electrical Engineering Alumni of Year.
3 BUF: Chemical and Biological Engineering’s Class of 1966 held a reunion this summer. Shown with some current students and department chair Stelios Andreadis are, from left, front row: Dave Andrews, Jerry Zakalik, John Lenczyk; back row: Keith Wilson, Michael Berg, Tom Marlin, George Kosanovich and John Mendrykowski.
4 DC: Alumni at SEAS pre-event at Mellon Aud in Washington DC.
5 ROC: CSE alumnus with President Tripathi at UB Night in Rochester, New York.
6 BUF: Young Alumni Board members (from left) Kevin Kerl, Eric Cichowski, Kurt Bessel and Jahmil Campbell share tips for fi nding a good job with students as part of the Career Perspectives and Networking Conference for SEAS graduate students.
7 BUF: Jeff rey Gritsavage, host of our Insider’s Look at the Lockport canals.
8 BUF: UB Engineering Alumni Association board members enjoy a meal with Norman Hayes, this year's recipient of the SEAS Dean's Award, as part of the school’s 2016 Commencement.
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Update your contact information to ensure you’re invited to the next Insider’s Look or other events in your area. Send updates and ideas
for future events to EngineeringAlumni@buff alo.edu.
55
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 29
Mike Pelino (BS '12 Mechanical Engineering), self-proclaimed gear head,
scored a big win last fall when driver Kyle Busch took home Toyota’s fi rst
NASCAR Sprint Cup with an engine Pelino helped design.
While he isn’t allowed to discuss exactly how they improved engine
performance—and he mentions that racing engine design rules are very
stringent—Pelino and his team worked on an exhaust development project that
picked up some performance. When asked if it was the engine that helped clinch
the Cup, he says, “There were many factors that came into play with that win. It’s
a balance because the car isn’t going to win with a mediocre engine, a mediocre
driver or a mediocre chassis.”
Pelino serves as an engine development engineer for Toyota, assigned to
the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and is involved in the design, manufacturing,
testing and optimization of all aspects of the engines. His duties include meeting
with designers, characterizing
engines in state-of-the-art test cells,
and analyzing data at the racetrack.
“It’s the racing atmosphere, so you’re
always busy. One day I’ll be working
on a new exhaust system, the next day
I could be working on oiling systems
or durability testing.”
During his time at UB, Pelino
completed an independent study
with SUNY Distinguished Teaching
Professor Joseph Mollendorf,
regarding engine performance with
various fuels. He was also involved
with the ASCE Steel Bridge team, SAE
Baja and Clean Snowmobile teams.
>> Rebecca Rudell
In less than six months on the job at Alta Devices, Yanshu Li (BA '11 Math, BS '11, MS '14, PhD '16 Electrical Engineering) helped the solar power technology company break a world record.
Li was the project owner of the research type GaInP/GaAs dual-junction solar cell, in which he developed a new fabrication process and prototype design that reduced contact resistance and increased thermal endurance. His new designs and methods helped his employer break the world record for e� ciency on GaInP/GaAs dual-junction solar cells.
At UB, Li was the Moog Fellowship recipient from 2011 to 2013. His PhD research topic was nanotechnology in GaAs solar cells, and his advisor was SUNY Distinguished Professor Vladimir Mitin.
“I gained a great deal of technical experience through my work at UB’s state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities, which prepared me well for my position as an R&D engineer at Alta,” said Li. “The professors in the electrical engineering department were very accessible and gave me a lot of guidance.”
Li had a little additional help getting his job at Alta Devices. While attending the school’s 2015 Order of the Engineer ceremony, Li met Richard Chang (MS '79 Nuclear Engineering), CEO of Zing Semiconductor Corp. and UB’s Distinguished International Alumni Award recipient in 2013. The two men hit it o� and Chang wrote a letter of recommendation for Li. Li started at Alta Devices just a few months later—and he is o� to a great career!
>> Rebecca Rudell
Pelino helps Toyota win NASCAR Sprint Cup
Telescopic walls could rise on demand to stop fl ood waters
Li helps break world record at Alta Devices
Jorge Cueto was running a successful consulting and
construction company in Bogota, Colombia, and teaching
civil engineering in a university fi ve years ago, but he
felt the need to do more.
“I wrote on the application for the Fulbright
scholarship what I was trying to do. I was looking for
something new, but I didn’t know what it was,” he said.
He won the scholarship, and by coincidence — one of
his favorite professors in Bogota had graduated from the
University at Buff alo — he came to UB. A� er fi nishing
his master’s and PhD degrees, Cueto recently won the
SEAS Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
The award is a recognition of outstanding
contributions to his career fi eld and comes a� er a long
struggle to win support for his invention: a telescoping
structural system. Cueto devised a patent-pending
system of telescoping rectangular fi ber-reinforced
concrete boxes that he hopes will be the basis for “rise
on demand” fl ood walls. The walls can be installed below
ground level, so as not to block any water views, and can
be raised when the threat of fl ooding occurs.
His invention, called Smart Walls, won a $225,000
Small Business Innovation Research grant from the
National Science Foundation. He had earlier won $8,000
from UB’s Entrepreneurial Lab to get the project going.
In an interesting twist, Cueto’s advisors, Andre
Filiatrault and Amjad Aref, both professors in the
Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental
Engineering, are now consultants with his company.
Filiatrault notes, "With this NSF grant, Amjad and I are
working for him now."
Jorge Cueto, founder of Smart Walls Construction LLC, in the lab with his telescopic fl ood walls.
N ational Grid, a prominent multinational
energy company, is in the process of
developing a diff erent type of pipeline in
Western New York—one through which the
energy of learning what it means to become
an engineer fl ows freely. The company’s
considerable eff orts in this area were recognized
this spring when it was named UB Engineering’s
Corporate Partner of the Year.
National Grid’s educational involvement
was borne out of a recognized need to expand
careers in engineering to include a more
diverse population. So, fi ve summers ago, the
company partnered with UB to create a four-day
engineering summer camp primarily for under-
represented high school students interested in
STEM careers.
“Our hope is that this camp will help build
a level of interest for students with an aptitude
for engineering but little or no exposure to it,”
said Dennis Elsenbeck, Director, New Energy
Solutions Stakeholder and Policy at National
Grid, and a member of the Dean’s Advisory
Council (DAC). “We want to help remove the
barriers or challenges women and minorities
face in STEM fi elds.“
Campers live on the UB campus and
participate in hands-on activities in engineering
design, team-building and leadership skills,
lab and computer exercises, fi eld trips,
and recreational activities. Students who
successfully complete the program receive a
scholarship to UB.
When research noted that decisions for
STEM-oriented careers were being made as
early as the sixth grade, National Grid’s pipeline
of education expanded further, adopting
Science is Elementary, a K-12 program that SEAS
Dean Liesl Folks brought from California to
Westminster Community Charter School.
At UB, Elsenbeck and fellow DAC members
talk directly with students, off er advice and
guidance about their careers, and listen to learn
how perceptions of engineering are changing.
The company’s support extends to attracting
faculty with an endowed professorship, an
initiative that helped to bring Quanxi Jia, a
world-renowned scholar, back to his alma mater
as part of UB’s new Department of Materials
Design and Innovation.
Electrical engineering faculty members
Jennifer Zirnheld and Kevin Burke have worked
on various projects with National Grid, the latest
being a feasibility study for implementation
of a microgrid that would allow the Buff alo
Niagara Medical Campus and surrounding
neighborhood to sustain power in the event of a
catastrophic outage.
“There are enormous opportunities for our
students to match the theory they are learning
in class to applied research that accelerates their
own learning,” says Zirnheld.
Both faculty members are enthusiastic about
their participation in the Science is Elementary
program. Zirnheld, who volunteers as classroom
lead, says that being able to encourage a child
while they struggle to accomplish a task and
celebrate with them when they exceed their own
expectations is the essence of discovery.
“National Grid is helping to foster the next
generation of scientists and engineers,” she
states. Burke concurs. “Most of these kids are
minorities. So it’s important to see someone who
looks like them in front of a room saying, ‘You
can be a scientist.”
For National Grid, it’s all about creating
a pipeline of experiential learning to bring
engineering to life. In Elsenbeck’s view, “If
young people are excited about what they’re
doing and are exposed early to what our
industry is all about, we feel that’s better for the
university, for the potential engineer as they go
forward, and for our company.”
>> Jim Bisco
ENGINEERING PARTNERSHIPS
National Grid partners with SEAS to build an education pipeline
The UB/National Grid Leadership Camp aims to introduce engineering concepts to under-represented high school students with an aptitude for STEM.
National Grid’s Daniel Keating (left) and Natalie Terhaar show o£ their Corporate Partner of the Year award with UB’sTim Siderakis.
2015-2016 Engineering Partners
30 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
Onion Studio, Inc.
SAE students participate in welding training at Praxair
Inspired a� er talking with members of UB’s Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) at a recent event, Mike Sinicropi,
director of global market development for metal fabrication at
Praxair and a member of the School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences’ Dean’s Advisory Council, wanted to fi nd a way to help the
club.
So in early December 2015, seven students visited Praxair
Technology Center’s metal fabrication laboratory for a one-day
training session on gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc
welding.
“The training gave us great insight into the industrial side of
welding as opposed to our ‘self-taught’ hobby welding,” said Spencer
Heyden, president of SAE. “The techniques we learned will help us
produce reliable and clean welds, which are key elements for both
our snowmobile and Baja vehicles.”
“We hope the skills they learned in this training will help them do
even better in next year’s competitions,” Sinicropi said.
Sinicropi coordinated the training session with Heyden and
Jeremy Neff , senior R&D manager for metal fabrication at Praxair.
Praxair technologists Tom Matecki and Ken Jozwiak conducted the
training.
Praxair was named the School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences Corporate Partner of the Year in 2015.
Gold Partners Silver Partners
Engineering students hear hiring tips from SEAS engineering partners
“We’re looking for top talent, so we don’t rely on job postings;
instead, we partner with universities such as UB to fi nd that top
talent,” said Patricia Hein of U&S Services.
“If I’m looking for an engineer, I need someone with strong
subject knowledge, who has both good communication and technical
skills, and is a good team player,” said Cem Celik of Praxair.
These are just some of the many words of wisdom shared by
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences’ engineering partners
with students during the SEAS Sponsor Panel, a special event held
during Engineers Week.
In a Q&A format between engineering students and panelists,
about 70 students had the opportunity to ask about the skillsets most
important to employers, the experiences employers value most,
the balance between grades and experiential learning, and other
topics on professional development during an hour-long program
moderated by Andrew Olewnik, SEAS Director of Experiential
Learning.
In addition to Hein and Celik, Ashok Jain of Zodiac Aerospace,
Nick Vandervoort of Unifrax, and Eric Barton of Gemcor served on
the panel.
>> Jashonda Williams
Students from SAE learned gas metal arc and gas tungsten arc welding techniques at the Praxair Technology Center’s metal fabrication laboratory.
Representatives from SEAS engineering partners gave students tips and techniques for fi nding a great job. Seated from left are: Ashok Jain, Patricia Hein, Nick Vandervoort, Cem Celik and Eric Barton.
2015-2016 Engineering Partners To become an engineering partner,contact Todd Brooks, at toddbroo@bu£ alo.edu.
32 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
I n the United States, 350,000 coronary artery
bypass gra� ing procedures are performed
annually, costing $26 billion in healthcare
expenses. Two thirds of the cost comes from
secondary contributors, such as extended
hospital stays and readmissions resulting from
donor site complications.
Angiogra� LLC, a new company out of the
University at Buff alo’s Department of Chemical
and Biological Engineering, seeks to reduce
these costs by making bioengineered blood
vessels for people with heart disease.
Sindhu Row, who earned her PhD in
chemical engineering in February 2016,
together with her advisor, Stelios Andreadis,
professor and chair of the Department of
Chemical and Biological Engineering, and
Daniel D. Swartz, an expert in blood vessel
gra� ing, surgery and pediatrics, are moving the
product forward with clinical trials.
“The product is a self-regenerating
blood vessel, available off the shelf, that once
implanted, is capable of regenerating with
the patients’ own cells making it biologically
functional,” said Row.
“The acellular technology employs covalent
chemistry to fortify the collagenous gra� s with
anti-clotting factors as well as growth factors,
which attract the patients’ own cells to the
gra� site. This enables A-TEV (acellular tissue
engineered vessel) to be manufactured within
just one day, and be available off the shelf, a
tremendous advantage for clinical applications,”
she continued.
The company’s A-TEV is designed as a
replacement vascular gra� , which is o� en
required in coronary artery bypass gra� ing
procedures. These procedures typically use
the patient’s own veins; however, people with
conditions such as diabetes and hypertension
o� en do not have viable veins and are thus
unable to undergo the surgery. The technology
could, therefore, off er these patients an
alternative through its unique design.
The technology and product are protected
under a provisional patent (62/254,347) with
intellectual property rights belonging to
Angiogra� LLC.
The team was recently among 80 semi-
fi nalists in the 2016 OneStart competition, the
world’s largest accelerator for startups that
seek to improve human health. They were
selected from a pool of 750 startups from over 50
countries.
They were also fi nalists in UB’s Henry
A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship
Competition and Bright Buff alo Niagara’s
Entrepreneur Expo. More recently, Angiogra�
was named one of 142 semifi nalists in 43North,
a $5 million startup competition held in Buff alo,
New York.
>> Jane Stoyle Welch
New start-up company o£ ers alternative treatment for cardiovascular disease
ENGAGEMENT
Marcia Torrico (center), a PhD candidate in electrical engineering,
shows Paige Denman (le� ) from Kenmore Middle School, and Eve DiCarlo
(right) from Veronica E. Connor Middle School in Grand Island, how sonar
works. With the click of a switch, sounds rang out of a receiver. “It sounds
like little dolphins communicating to each other,” Torrico said. The middle
school students are part of UB’s Gi� ed Math Program, which was founded
in 1979. Each year it enrolls up to 275 middle and high school students
from throughout Western New York.
Middle schoolers immersed in electrical engineering
Angiograft, co-founded by Stelios Andreadis, Sindhu Row (shown above) and Daniel Swartz, is developing a way to make artifi cial blood vessels for people with heart disease that could help reduce the costs associated with coronary bypass surgery.
Douglas Levere
Onion Studio, Inc.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 33
UB creates digital manufacturing and design online courses
UB is developing a “101” series of massive open online courses on the Coursera platform about digital manufacturing and design—the ability to connect di� erent parts of the manufacturing lifecycle through data.
The Digital Manufacturing and Design Technology Specialization consists of nine courses and a project. Courses are for anyone interested in how manufacturing is evolving, from high school graduates exploring careers to operations managers intrigued by emerging technologies.
The project is an initiative of the federally funded Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, of which UB is a member.
The project team includes: Program manager Timothy Leyh of TCIE Principal investigator Kemper Lewis of SMART and Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Instructors Kenneth English of SMART, Rahul Rai of MAE, Sara Behdad of MAE and ISE, Chi Zhou of ISE, and Shambhu Upadhyaya of CSE Sta� from UB’s Center for Educational Innovation and the SUNY O¬ ce of the Provost Partners Accu-Solve Group, Full Circle Studios, Bu� alo Manufacturing Works, Moog, Lockheed Martin, Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Association for Manufacturing Technology, SAE International, Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems
The fi rst three courses will launch in January, with the rest released one month at a time.
>> Tracy Puckett
Kenneth English fi lms an introduction to a course at Moog Inc. Behind the camera isJ. Michael Vick, digital media producer at Full Circle Studios.
I t has been quite a year for University
at Buff alo spinoff company Abcombi
Biosciences. Since forming last June,
the biomedical startup has:
Received a $323,000 grant from the
National Institutes of Health.
Completed preclinical trials for a
promising pneumococcal vaccine.
Been accepted into the START-UP NY
economic development program.
In another indication of the company’s
fast-growing potential, it has been accepted
into JLABS @ Toronto, a prestigious new
biomedical research incubator spearheaded
by Johnson & Johnson, the global medical
devices, pharmaceutical and consumer
packaged goods manufacturer.
“We’re honored to be part of the
inaugural group of startups at JLABS
@ Toronto,” said Abcombi CEO Charles
Jones, who received a PhD in chemical and
biological engineering from UB in February
2016. “Connecting our Buff alo-based
headquarters to this one-of-a-kind incubator
program will help us bring to market medical
advancements that will alleviate suff ering
for millions of people worldwide.”
JLABS bills itself as a “no-strings
attached” incubator, meaning companies
pay only rent and receive lab space, use of
equipment, mentorship and other services at
no cost.
Abcombi was formed to commercialize
two innovations: a protein-based vaccine
platform and a new drug delivery method,
developed in the research laboratories of UB
faculty members Blaine Pfeifer, associate
professor of chemical and biological
engineering, and Jonathan Lovell, assistant
professor of biomedical engineering.
Both Pfeifer and Lovell are co-founders
of Abcombi. The company is working with
Lovell’s “nanoballoon” innovation, which
uses modifi ed liposomes that, upon being
struck by a red laser, pop open and deliver
concentrated doses of medicine.
Abcombi, which recently won fi rst place
in the biotechnology category of the New
York Business Plan competition, gained
acceptance in JLABS @ Toronto with the
help of UB’s Offi ce of Science, Technology
Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR). It
will remain in its headquarters at 73 High
St. on the Buff alo Niagara Medical Campus
and move the bulk of its laboratory work to
Toronto this summer.
Earlier this year, the company was voted
the $20,000 winner in the Bright Buff alo
Niagara entrepreneur expo business plan
competition, and was one of 16 fi nalists in
this year's 43North competition, a $5 million
Buff alo-based business plan competition.
The company is developing a stable
of products, but its initial emphasis is on
developing a new vaccine for pneumococcal
disease, which is an infection that causes
pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream
infection.
>> Cory Nealon
UB spino£ Abcombi Biosciences landsspot in Johnson & Johnson’s Toronto incubator
Charles Jones (left) and Blaine Pfeifer of Abcombi Biosciences.
Onion Studio, Inc.
34 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
A n enthusiastic crowd of about 500 people
fi lled Davis Hall for a night of fun and
games designed to celebrate and promote
computer science.
Dubbed “CSE Kid’s Day” and hosted by
UB’s Department of Computer Science and
Engineering (CSE), the event featured robot
demos, games designed to teach programming
concepts and kid-friendly interactive projects
led by UB students.
The most popular spot for families with
younger children was the third fl oor of Davis
Hall, where youngsters could program robots to
do fun things like follow a line, navigate a maze
or dance.
“We got the kids excited by showing them
various ways to write code and program a
computer. Getting one of our robots to dance to
music was very exciting for the kids,” said Bob
DeBortoli, a computer engineering major.
In another activity, kids played games that
taught programming and computer science
concepts without using a computer. Large
squares were taped on the fl oor, and the children
moved around the squares by following a series
of prompts to sort numbers in increasing order.
Kid’s Day, which was part of UB’s celebration
of National Computer Science Education Week,
aims to get more students learning how to code,
Machinery manufacturer recognized for partnership with SEAS
The UB Center for Industrial E� ectiveness (TCIE) recognized Ttarp Co. of Bu� alo for being a “Partner in Engineering Excellence” at the 2016 Small Business Luncheon. The event was hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Bu� alo Business First and SCORE Bu� alo Niagara.
Ttarp designs and manufactures fabricating and converting machinery. Since 2007, it has partnered with TCIE to receive technical assistance from students and faculty of the UB
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Project work has been partially funded by the Strategic Partnership for Industrial Resurgence (SPIR) grant, which helps companies in New York State remain competitive.
Pictured, from left, are: Chet Pulaski and Michele Agustin of Ttarp, Gary Simon of TCIE, and Joe McNamara and John Burkhardt of Ttarp.
>> Tracy Puckett
program, script, design and harness the power
of computing to solve new challenges.
“I know that when I was growing up, I had
no idea what computer science was all about,”
said computer science major Meg Arnold. “By
opening up our department to the community,
we can educate kids about computer science and
hopefully spark their interest.”
Arnold’s colleague, Gela Malek Pour, added:
“We also hope to encourage more girls to
explore careers in computer science by exposing
them to the fi eld at younger ages.”
The event was organized by the CSE
Undergraduate Student Advisory Board, which
included Arnold, DeBortoli, Malek Pour and
Wendy Jansson, as well as Atri Rudra, associate
professor of computer science and engineering.
>> Jane Stoyle Welch
ENGAGEMENT CSE Kid’s Day highlights computer science and engineering
PhD student Razieh Fathi works with students to program a dancing robot.
Nancy J. Parisi
34 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 35
M aureen Brown has held a number
of procurement roles over the
last 30 years. Each has revealed numerous
ineffi ciencies, prompting her to voice concerns
about wasted time, money and resources.
A certifi cation course from UB’s Center for
Industrial Eff ectiveness (TCIE) is empowering
Brown to move beyond asking questions.
The director of purchasing at Baker Victory
Services (BVS) is now equipped with data-driven,
problem-solving tools to derive and implement
solutions.
Brown and 13 employees from various
departments of BVS, Community Services
for the Developmentally Disabled (CSDD) and
People Inc. came together as part of a non-profi t
consortium to learn the Lean methodology and
how its approach to reducing waste can better
serve clients.
UB’s 39-hour Certifi ed Lean Professional
(CLP) course featured theory, reality-based
examples, class interactions and networking
opportunities. Certifi cation required passing an
exam and successfully completing an individual
improvement project. Projects ranged from
reducing the time of preparing a room for a new
resident to eliminating paperwork errors and
subsequent rework.
“The return on investment in this
partnership has been invaluable,” said Lindsay
Goodenough, CSDD’s vice president of
administrative services. “We see a change in
how our managers work together, a change in
problem solving and how we address challenges
in our fi eld.”
Such challenges include an ever-shi� ing
landscape where every penny counts, a
reduction of government funding, and a bevy of
mandated regulations, all while maintaining—
if not elevating—services. These forces are
encouraging the non-profi t sector to increasingly
adopt a corporate business mindset and embrace
continuous improvement techniques like Lean.
Cognizant of fi nancial limits, TCIE
introduced the agencies to the Workforce
Development Institute of Western New York.
BVS and CSDD received a grant from the institute
to partially cover training costs.
People Inc. incurred the full expense, and added
more participants upon reviewing curriculum
and considering the course’s potential.
“The industry is changing and resources are
growing tighter,” said Bonnie Sloma, senior vice
president at People Inc. “We have to fi nd creative
ways to do things to improve the lives of the
individuals we serve.”
>> Tracy Puckett
U B’s Offi ce of Research and Economic
Development is off ering two new business
friendly programs to help businesses easily tap into
UB’s technical expertise while reducing the risk and
cost associated with licensing intellectual property
(IP) and sponsored research.
UB SWIFT is a streamlined approach to sponsored
industry contracts designed to reduce transaction
time by addressing inventions and licensing in
advance. It establishes business-friendly terms
upfront, granting companies an exclusive worldwide
license to the resulting IP. Companies control
all patent fi lings associated with the technology
developed during the research project. Benefi ts
include:
Exclusive worldwide rights to the technology
resulting from a research project
One-time upfront fee
For exclusive license: royalties of 1 percent apply
only if cumulative net sales exceed $20 million
($50 M if human trials are involved)
The UB Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) award provides matching funds to companies
subcontracting at least 30% of a Phase I SBIR or STTR
award to a UB principal investigator. The matching
funds are an incentive for more small business
partnerships and expand the research funds available
to the UB PI for the project.
For more information on UB SWIFT and UB SBIR,
visit http://www.buff alo.edu/research/ubswi� or
contact Jennifer Mandina, JD, MS, Associate Manager
of Contracts at 716-645-8952 or
mandina@buff alo.edu.
WNY nonprofi ts reduce waste by learning the Lean way
New R&D business friendly programs at UB
Participants in TCIE’s Certifi ed Lean Professional program included employees of Baker Victory Services, Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled, and People Inc.
36 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
AnonymousMr. Patrick F. Abrami, ’75, ’72Mr. Russell L. Agrusa, ’76Dr. Marca J. Lam-Anderson, ’94, ’91 & Dr. David L. Anderson, DDS ’94, BA ’90Dr. Lisa A. Andruscavage, ‘78
Mr. Brian D. Anger, ’04, ’03Mr. Madhavan Balachandran, ‘74Dr. Robert E. Barnes, ‘84, ‘76 & Dr. Grace M. Barnes, ‘84, ‘77Mr. Kurt W. R. Bessel, ’09, ’08, ‘08Mrs. Judith A. BisantzMr. David R. Bogart, BS ’88Dr. Meherwan P. Boyce, ’64, & Mrs. Zarine M. BoyceMr. Todd D. BrooksDr. William Robert Brownlie, ’76, ’75 & Mrs. Debra BrownlieDr. Kevin M. Burke, ’10, ’04, ’97Mr. Robert A. Burnett, ’81Dr. Ranjit K. Chakravorti, ’73
Mr. Kar B. Chang, MS ’76, BS ’73Dr. Lunkit F. Cho, ’75Mr. Roger E. Choplin, ‘72Mr. Eric C. Cichowski, ‘07, ‘04Dr. John L. Crassidis, ‘93, ‘91, ‘89Dr. Hemant W. Dandekar, ‘91, ‘88Dr. Davin Milun, ‘95, ‘90Mr. John R. Davis, ‘55 & Mrs. Barbara J. DavisMr. A. James Dearlove Jr., ’76, ’69Mr. Arthur M. Denz, ’65Mr. Joseph F. DePumpo, ‘87Mr. David Devereaux & Mrs. Paula J. Devereaux Mr. Albert Dishner, BS ’79Dr. Kenneth W. English, ’01, ’98, ’95 & Dr. Sarah C. English, ’06Mrs. James S. Falsetti, ’78 & Mrs. Nannette Falsetti Mr. Donald R. Ferguson, ‘56 & Mrs. Elfriede I. Ferguson, ‘57Dr. Liesl FolksDr. Joseph V. Fritz, ’90, ’86, ’81, & Mrs. Deborah D. Fritz, ’81
Mr. Andrew J. Gallatin, ’92Mr. Robert C. Girardi, ‘79Mr. James E. Glattly, ‘76, ‘73Dr. Venu Govindaraju, ’92, ’88, & Mrs. Padma GovindarajuMr. William Grappone & Ms. Anna M. StaveMr. Brian P. Gregory, ’96Dr. George L. Grobe, III, ‘89, ‘86 & Mrs. Ann O. Grobe, ‘87Mr. Robert Francis Hanley Jr., ’90Mr. Robert G. Harrison, ’83 & Mrs. Gilda T. Harrison, ’86, ’84Mr. Jason L. Havens, ‘05Mr. Norman M. Hayes, ’80Mr. Douglas J. Hillman, ’89, ’82Mr. Xinghua HongDr. Akram S. Talhouk & Dr. Christine A. HumanMr. C. Donald Jacobs, ’95, ’93Mrs. Sabina L. Karwan & Dr. Mark H. KarwanMr. Pat J. Kennedy, ’78Mr. Joseph Francis Kessler, ’10, ’00, ’93 & Mrs. Lisa Kessler Mr. Krishna S. Kolluri, ‘88Mr. Donald J. Koscheka, ‘77Dr. Ganapathy Krishnan, ’88, ’86Mr. Anil L. Kshirsagar, ‘79, ‘77Dr. Kelvin H. LeeMr. Carl J. Lehman, ’78 & Mrs. Maria C. Lehman, ’81Mr. Steven E. Little, ‘89, ‘86, & Mrs. Adrienne Jean Little, ‘89Mr. Thomas J. Lynch, ’85, ’76Mr. Michael J. Madonia & Mrs. Linda Madonia
& Mrs. Bonnie MartinMr. Lawrence A. Mathews, ‘69Mr. William J. McDermott, ’75, ’72 & Mrs. JoAnn Gertler McDermott, Ms. Amanda Louise Megan, ’00 & Mr. Lawrence MeganMr. Jawahar J. Mehra, ’72 and Mrs.
Vatsala MehraMr. Todd V. Minnella, ’95Mr. Edward C. Morris, ‘73Mr. Thomas A. Occhino, BS ’07Mr. Brian J. Peer, ‘05 & Dr. Rachel E. Peer, ‘08
Dr. John V. Pilitsis, ’75, ’70Mr. Frank J. Puskar, ’79 & Mrs. Mary F. PuskarMr. John R. Pustulka, BS ’74Ms. Minmin Chen, ‘00 & Dr. Chunming QiaoMr. Mamunur Rahman, 01, ‘96Dr. Raghu Ram, ’90, ’85, & Dr. Pavani K. Ram
DELTA SOCIETYDelta Society Chair: Mr. Norman Hayes, ‘80
We thank our donors for their support in fi scal year 2015-2016 (July 1-June 30)
Delta Society (annual gift of $1,000 - $4,999) | Gold (Graduates of the last decade $500+)
We strive to ensure that gifts are listed accurately. If any information listed is incorrect, please call Todd Brooks in the School of Engineering and AppliedSciences’ O� ce of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at (716) 645-2133 or email toddbroo@bu£ alo.edu.
AnonymousDr. Milind B. Ajinkya, ’75, ’72 & Mrs. Raj AjinkyaMrs. Grace N (Seitz) McCombs & Dr. Norman R. McCombs, ‘68Mr. Jonathan Matthew Bearfi eld, ’91Dr. Mohan Ambavibhai Bhalodia, ’73Dr. Joseph M. Bracci, ’92, ’89, ’87, & Mrs. Kathleen A. Bracci, ’91Mr. David D. Cadigan, ’80Mr. Michael J. Cadigan, ‘79 & Mrs. Eileen CadiganMr. Roy R. Carter & Ms. Frances A. CecereDr. Joe Y. Chuang, ’72
Mr. Richard E. GarmanMs. Naida Irizarry Shaw, ’77, & Mr. Max KayMr. Hratch H. Kouyoumdjian, ’70Mr. James P. Smist, BS ’80 & Mrs. Mary SmistMr. Scott D. Stevens, ’79, & Mrs. Coleen B. Stevens, ’79Dr. Stephen E. Still, ’76Mr. Sharad K. Tak, ’69Dr. Steven Tsengas, ’60Mr. and Mrs. John L. Vanderhoef, ’79Mr. Thomas G. Wilde, ‘80 & Mrs. Stephanie WildeMr. Kenneth O. Young, ’54
Mr. Rajesh H. Babani, ’96, ’96Mr. Wallace O. Bailey, ’71, ’68Mrs. Lydia K. BenensonDr. Lester A. Gerhardt, ’69, ’64, & Mrs. Karen R. Gerhardt, ’64Dr. Mark N. Glauser, ’87, ’82 & Dr. Gina J. Lee-Glauser, ’88, ’82Mrs. Gina B. Hammond, ’73Dr. George C. LeeMr. James W. McLernon, `50, `98Mr. Frank J. Notaro, ’85Mr. Daniel C. Oliverio, ’82, ’80, ’78Mr. Henry E. Stone, BS ’49
Delta Society Dean’s Club (annual gift of $10,000 and above) Delta Society Chair’s Club(annual gift of $5,000 - $9,999)
Scott (’79) and Coleen Stevens (’79) pose with Liesl Folks at the opening of the Stevens Center.
Steven Still ('79) talks with graduate students during the Annual SEAS Graduate Student Poster competition.
Bethany Mazur and Kurt Bessel present Gina Hammond (’73) (right) with the Volunteer Recognition Award.
Hratch Kouyoumdjian (’70) (left) catches up with his mentor, George C. Lee, during the 20th anniversary of the Delta Society celebration.
’75
Mr. Richard W. Martin, BS ’92
& Mrs. Sunanda Chakravorti
Onion Studio, Inc.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 37
Mr. Peter Buechi, ’70, ’68 & Mrs. Cheryl W. Buechi, EDM ‘98Mr. James E. Heiman, ‘61
Mr. Jan A. Klapetzky, ‘70Mr. Mun K. Lee & Mrs. Un Ok Lee
Mr. James W. McLernon, ‘50Mr. James M. Smith, ‘76Mr. Hatim A. Tyabji , ‘69
Mr. Kenneth O. Young, ‘54Anonymous
Mr. Bob Humphrey Jr. & Ms. Kathleen Ratcli� eDr. Eli Ruckenstein & Mrs. Velina RuckensteinMr. Lee H. Runk, ‘61 & Mrs. Maria Y. RunkDrs. Terrence Ryan & Dr. Elizabeth WhalenDr. Martin J. Sanborn, ’96, & Dr. Tracy SanbornDr. John K. Schneider, ’90, ’87, ’80Dr. James Scinta, ’78, ’75Ms. Lisa R. ShamesMrs. Elizabeth M. Siderakis, ’91, & Mr. Timoleon C. SiderakisMr. Michael J. Sinicropi, ’96 & Mrs. Jamie A. SinicropiDr. Tsu T. Soong & Mrs. Dorothy Tsai SoongMr. Edward F. Spellman, ’82 & Mrs. Chann Spellman
Mr. Andrew T. Spilsbury, ‘60 & Mrs. Carol SpilsburyMr. Michael W. Szczepankiewicz, ’88Mr. Matthew S. Szkotak, BS ’83 & Mrs. Leslie P. SzkotakDr. Albert H. Titus, ’91, ’89, & Dr. Ann M. Bisantz, ’91, ’89
Mr. Robert H. Tom, ‘97, ‘90Mr. Lester F. Van, ‘76Mr. James F. Van Oss, ’83, ’81, & Mrs. Rosanne Frandina, ’83, ’81Mr. Raj G. Varadarajan, MS ’76Dr. A. Scott Weber & Mrs. Jo Ann J. WeberMrs. Ann M. Wegrzyn, ’90, ’85 & Mr. Robert A. WegrzynMr. James J. Wehrfritz, ’78Mr. Daniel Wei, ’06, ’04Ms. Nancy L. WellsMr. Sean M. Weppner, ‘10, ‘08Mr. William G. Weppner, ’59Dr. Andrew S. Whittaker & Ms. Amanda J. Simondson Ms. Phyllis WorbyMr. Kent T. Yen, ‘93Mr. Jingdong Yu, ’99Dr. Syeda Fazila Zafar Dr. Atif Zafar, ’94, ’89
Mr. Benyuan Zhang, ’97Mr. George Z. Zhu, ’97Mr. Mark J. Zirnheld, ‘90 & Dr. Jennifer L. Zirnheld, ‘04, ‘97, ‘93
The best public universities have the strongest private support!
Corporations and Foundations
The General Edmund Hayes SocietyThe General Edmund Hayes Society, established in 1991, recognizes all bequest intentions and deferred gifts to any UB program. Membership in the Hayes Society is granted for life. Below are the members who have made bequests or deferred gifts to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. For more information on becoming a member of the Hayes Society, please contact Patrizia Porcari at 716-645-2133 or porcari@bu� alo.edu.
Richard Garman poses with Jess Turner, a recipient of the Garman Scholarship, which assists civil engineering students.
Norman Hayes (‘80) with Liesl Folks at the school’s 2016 commencement ceremony. Hayes received the 2016 Dean’s Award for Achievement.
Russell Agrusa (’76) o£ ers advice to graduate students during the Career Perspectives and Networking Conference.
American Chemical SocietyAmerican Concrete InstituteAmerican Heart Association, Inc.American Institute of Steel
Construction, Inc.American Society of Mechanical
EngineersAmgen FoundationAssociation for Bridge Construction
and DesignAstronics CorporationATTO Technology, Inc.Bird Technologies Group, Inc.Bloomberg L.P.Chevron CorporationCobham Mission Systems DivisionCommunity Foundation for Greater
Bu� aloCUBRCDresser-Rand CompanyDuPuy SynthesEarthquake Protection Systems, Inc.EmergenceTek GroupEmersonExxonMobil FoundationFactSet Research Systems, Inc.
GE Transportation SystemsGemcorGoogle, Inc.Great Lakes Research ConsortiumHarris CorporationHealthNow New York, Inc.Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.IBM International FoundationIDEX CorporationIMS HealthInternational Business Machines
CorporationITT Enidine, Inc.Jaingsu Delin Environmental
Protection Technology Co., Ltd.James H. Cummings Foundation, Inc.KPMG FoundationL. P. CiminelliLiazonLockheed Martin CorporationM&T BankMerck FoundationMicrosoft CorporationMinnesota Mining & Manufacturing
Foundation, Inc.Nanothings Inc.
Nanova Inc.National Fuel Gas Company
FoundationNational GridNational Institute of AerospaceNiacet CorporationNiagara Specialty Metals, Inc.Northrop Grumman Amherst
SystemsOracle Corporation
Pioneer Camp and Retreat Center, Praxair, Inc.Qualcomm, Inc.R. E. Burns & Sons, Inc.Schlumberger FoundationSeabury Airline Planning GroupShenzhen Chuanggan Technology
Co., LtdSiemensSoftrek CorporationStreber Tech, Inc.Systems Management/Planning Inc.Texas Instruments FoundationThe Coca-Cola FoundationThe Optical SocietyThermo Fisher Scientifi cT-MobileTurner Construction CompanyU & S Services, Inc.UB Graduate Student AssociationUnifrax LLCValueCentric LLCXerox FoundationZodiac Aerospace
Inc.
38 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
SWE names UB Alumna Marca Lam Outstanding Faculty Advisor
CLASS NOTES
DID YOU KNOW? Quadgen Wireless Solutions, located in King of Prussia, Pa., near Philadelphia, has been hiring our recent Master’s level graduates from the Department of Electrical Engineering’s communications and networking research group. At least nine graduates from the Class of 2015 have started their careers as network engineers and related roles at the company.
38 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
As a dedicated educator, it’s no surprise that Marca Lam (BS '91, MS '94 Mechanical Engineering) was honored by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) with the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award. A senior lecturer of mechanical engineering in the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering, as well as the faculty advisor of the RIT-SWE student section, she was quite surprised to learn that she won the prestigious international award.
Lam increased student attendance from 20 to 50 (actually 70, since non-organization members also participated). She also introduced the idea of keeping club records online and helped students develop a system for organizing RIT-SWE finances and fundraising. But most importantly, she’s an incredible mentor.
She fully supports her students and encourages them to support each other, and her o�ce door is always open. Lam attends to the smallest details—such as helping young students develop their “elevator speeches” for career fairs—which has most certainly made a di�erence for countless young women in the highly competitive field of engineering.
“SWE is about more than just the technical stu� because there are so many flavors of engineering involved,” she explains. “It’s more about learning how to be a more confident person who can advocate for herself.”
Aside from her remarkable abilities as a faculty advisor, Lam is also an expert in materials science and engineering design tools. She teaches courses in system dynamics, engineering vibrations and optimal design. She earned her PhD from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1997.
>> Rebecca Rudell
[ 1970s ]
James Devald (BS Chemical Engineering 1970) has retired from the Niagara County Health Department, where he was the director of environmental health since 1988. He started with the agency on June 1, 1970 as a junior engineer.
Hratch Kouyoumdjian, SE (MS Civil Engineering 1970) joined the University at Bu�alo’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Dean’s Advisory Council. He is the founder, president and CEO of the KPA Group, a well-respected small engineering and architectural consulting practice headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Norm J. Hirschey (BS Mechanical Engineering 1977) was elected to the board of the Engineering Society of Bu�alo. He is currently a professional engineer at An-Cor Industrial Plastics in North Tonawanda, New York.
Richard J. Kotecki, P.E. (BS Civil Engineering 1977) received the Basinski-Wohler Distinguished Service award from the Erie Niagara Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE). He is the immediate past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers Bu�alo Chapter and recently retired from the New York State Department of Transportation.
Joseph S. Frandina, P.E. (BS Civil Engineering 1978) received the Engineering Manager of the Year award from the Erie Niagara Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE).He is the director of construction management for the Bu�alo Bills and his most recent project consists of overseeing the recent $130M upgrade to Ralph Wilson Stadium (now New Era Field).
Ronald C. Kraemer (BS Civil Engineering 1978) has been promoted to senior vice president of National Fuel Gas Company. He will also continue in his role as president of Empire Pipeline, Inc.
[ 1980s ]
C.L. Max Nikias (MS/PhD Electrical Engineering 1980/1982) received the 2016 Diversity Award from the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department Heads Association at its Annual Conference and ECExpo. The award recognizes his e�orts to boost diversity across USC’s student population. Nikias is president of the University of Southern California.
Daniel D’Angelo, P.E. (BS Civil Engineering 1983) joined the University at Bu�alo’s Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering’s Advisory Board. He is a deputy chief engineer with the New York State Department of Transportation and currently serves as a member of the project executive management team and designated NYSDOT project liaison for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project.
Sung Ho Lee (BS Chemical and Biological Engineering 1984/1987) was appointed as the new pastor at Trinity United Methodist church.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 39
Steven W. Smith (BS Civil Engineering 1985) was named head of Highways and Bridges at WSP | Parsons Brinckerho� in the United Kingdom. He is responsible for operations and financial performance of the business, which focuses on highway, bridge (rail & highway), civil infrastructure projects and ground/tunneling engineering.
Joseph Bracci (BS/MS/PhD Civil Engineering 1987/1989/1992) joined the University at Bu�alo’s Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering’s Advisory Board. He is a professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University.
[ 1990s ]
John Hubert, P.E. (BS/ME Civil Engineering 1991/1998) was elected to the board of the Engineering Society of Bu�alo. He is assistant vice president with WSP | Parsons Brinckerho�, with 25 years of experience in the engineering field. He leads the civil and highway group in Bu�alo, New York.
Alejandro Rivera Becerra (MS/PhD Industrial Engineering 1993/2001, ME Civil Engineering 1998) is now the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Mexico Embassy in Berlin, Germany.
Kevin R. Drozynski, P.E. (ME Mechanical Engineering 1996) received the Engineer of the Year award from the Erie Niagara Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE). He is a customer facilities engineer with National Grid and has held numerous technical engineering positions with the firm spanning over 33 years.
Todd Snyder (ME Civil Engineering 1996) co-founded the recently opened Niagara Craft Spirits Distillery and Tasting Room, and was featured in the Gusto section of the Bu�alo News on January 3, 2016. Snyder is an instructional support specialist in UB’s Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, and faculty advisor to UB’s ASCE student chapter.
Matthew B. Kahn (BS Chemical and Biological Engineering 1998) co-founder and president of the Big Ditch Brewing Company in Bu�alo, NY, was featured in the Gusto section of the Bu�alo News on March 27, 2016.
Diego Lopez-Garcia (MS/PhD Civil Engineering/Structural and Earthquake Engineering 1999/2004) was named chairman of the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. During his time at UB, he was advised by SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus T.T. Soong and participated in earthquake engineering research through MCEER.
[ 2000s ]
Jonathan K. Watts (BS/BS Industrial and Systems Engineering/Civil Engineering 2000/2003) was promoted to vice president of Watts Architecture & Engineering, P.C. in Bu�alo, NY. He rejoined the firm after spending five and a half years with Pure Technologies US.
Lesley Weitz (BS Mechanical Engineering 2002) was named an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Weitz is a Principal Simulation Modeling Engineer at The MITRE Corporation, Center for Advanced Aviation System Development, in McLean, Virginia.
Rosaleen B. Nogle, P.E. (BS/MS Civil Engineering 2005/2007) received the Young Engineer of the Year award from the Erie Niagara Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE). She is an associate engineer with the Bu�alo Sewer Authority and is currently responsible for direction and supervision of storm and wastewater construction projects.
Justin Yates (MS/PhD Industrial Engineering 2007/2008) joined Francis Marion University as an assistant professor of industrial engineering.
Dapeng Cao (MS/PhD Industrial Engineering 2009/2014) was promoted to manager of healthcare analytics by Catholic Medical Partners.
[ 2010s ]
Viralkumar A. Patel (BS/BS Electrical/Electrical Engineering 2012/2015) joined Iconics in Foxborough, Massachusetts, as an application engineer.
Dalton J. Barksdale (BA Computer Science 2015) joined CPR (Cell Phone Repair) of Tonawanda as a small electronics repair technician.
Ajeya Gupta (MS Electrical Engineering 2015) joined Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, as a research engineer. He is a member of the advanced networking research team, which is developing high speed networking protocols and electrical architecture in Ford-based vehicles.
Rahul Sindhu (MS Electrical Engineering 2015) joined Juniper Networks in Sunnyvale, California as a software engineer. He is working with the DevTest team in the routing business unit to develop, test and support CD 45 minute test suites for JUNOS.
Sreya Harshad Vedant (MS Electrical Engineering 2015) joined Intel Corporation as a platform application engineer, where she enables Intel hardware and software based platforms to support customer IOT applications.
Connor Brown (BS Mechanical Engineering 2016) is working at John W. Danforth in Tonawanda, N.Y., as a design build engineer, where he designs HVAC systems for buildings in Bu�alo and throughout New York State including the First Niagara Center, the M&T Center, and Conventus. He was president of Engineers for a Sustainable World.
Je�rey T. Scott (BS Mechanical Engineering 2016) was elected to the board of the Engineering Society of Bu�alo. He is an aspiring controls engineer who teaches STEM topics and computer skills at the Valley Community Association in Bu�alo, New York.
Tyler Szczesniak (BS Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 2016) is an Industrial/Manufacturing Engineer 1 at PCB Piezotronics in Depew, N.Y. He was president of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
Keep in touch and network with fellow alums from our school. Join your department’s LinkedIn group.
ObituariesRichard Schad (BS Engineering Science 1969)
passed away on July 25, 2015 at the age of 93. He was the vice president and chief engineer at Rigidized Metals Corporation for over 30 years.
Allen Scott Pleban (BS Aerospace Engineering 1987, MS Mechanical Engineering 1992) passed away on December 15, 2015. He was employed
by the Navy to work on weapon systems in California and Virginia. He won two bronze medals in World Masters ski orienteering competitions, a winter endurance sport that combines navigation and cross-country skiing, often over extremely rough terrain. He was 51.
Gloria Koontz passed away on August 13, 2016. She worked in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences for 17 years, and retired in 1999 after serving as secretary to the chair of the Department of Computer Science.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 39
i | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
I work on large capital projects for the HVAC industry, specifying, selecting, and pricing pumps, heat exchangers, and other equipment as well as traveling to meet with contractors and engineers to discuss technical details of projects.”
“
Class of 2016: O£ to a great start!
CLASS NOTES
SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence winners Steven J. Co� ed, BS in mechanical and aerospace engineering, (left) and Timothy Van Oss, MS in civil engineering, (right) pose for a photo with Dean Liesl Folks before the 2016 SEAS commencement ceremony. Missing from the photo is Mingcong Zhang, BS in computer science.
40 | BUFFALO ENGINEER 2016
I’m working in plant operations while also being trained in other facets of Praxair’s business including project planning and execution, plant start-ups or shutdowns, maintenance, project management, sales and planning.”
“Joe Pace (BS Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 2016), Leadership and Technical Orientation Program engineer, Praxair, Deer Park, Texas. Joe is a former engineering clubs coordinator and treasurer for UB’s Student Association.
Robert Pettitt (BS Chemical Engineering 2016), integrated project engineer, Armstrong Fluid Technology, North Tonawanda, N.Y. and former president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
I am working on a project to develop a mobile application for biomedical engineering technicians in developing countries to help them troubleshoot and repair hospital equipment.”
“Katherine Czerniejewski (BS Biomedical Engineering, 2016), graduate student at Johns Hopkins University Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design, Baltimore, Md. and former president of Tau Beta Pi.
I am assigned to the Schenectady City School District School Capital Project, which is a $70 million multi-school renovation project. I am onsite every day working with the contractors to solve problems and manage the project so that it is completed on time, on budget, safely, and in accordance to the contract documents.”
“
Brianne Stasiak (BS Civil Engineering, 2016), fi eld engineer, Turner Construction Company, Albany, N.Y. As a senior, she was the engineering clubs coordinator for UB’s Student Association, and as a junior, she was president of the Society of Women Engineers.
Gela Malek Pour (BS Computer Science 2016), product engineer, Esri, Redlands, Calif. and former president of Scientista.
I work with an amazing team of engineers and software developers in the Runtimecore team, which builds the core API for all the products Esri o� ers.”
“
I am responsible for the entire devel opment life cycle of the Infotainment software, which includes the screen in the center console and the instru ment cluster.”
“Nolan Foster (BS Computer Engineering 2016), software engineer, General Motors, Warren, Mich. and former president of the National Society of Black Engineers.
UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | ii
Chimere Alozie was born in Brooklyn, NY, and moved to Nigeria as a teenager. “I claim both countries, depending on where I am and who asks,” says Alozie, who chose to attend UB to study civil engineering. This past summer, he was one of a group of UB undergraduates investigating microbial pollution at Western New York beaches. UB RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water), an institute that focuses on the social and economic ramifications of complex energy and environmental issues, funded the project. He was thankful for a donor-funded scholarship he received, which helped him support himself while gaining valuable research experience. Alozie, who says he is most interested in skyscraper construction, hopes to someday work at a firm with a sustainable development focus.
Gifts to the UB Fund have an immediate impact on students.
BUFFALO.EDU/GIVING OR TOLL FREE AT 855-GIVE-2-UB
The best public universities have the strongest private support.
Chimere AlozieCLASS OF 2018SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES
YOUR GIFTYOUR GIFT
Phone (716) 645-2771 | [email protected] | engineering.buffalo.edu
Douglas Levere
208 Davis Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260
UNDERWATER WI-FI? PROJECT AIMS TO SPEED UP VITAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS
A team of UB electrical engineering students is out on Lake Erie as part of a project to develop hardware and software tools to help underwater telecommunication catch up to its over-the-air counterpart.
They are part of a research team led by Dimitrios Pados, Clifford C. Furnas Professor of Electrical Engineering, to develop hardware and software—everything from modems that work underwater to open-architecture protocols—to improve underwater sensing networks. Of particular interest is merging a relatively new communication platform,
software-defined radio, with underwater acoustic modems. The Lake Erie experiments proved that the new modems could boost data transmission rates by 10 times over today’s commercial underwater modems.
Potential applications include monitoring pollution, walkie-talkies for scuba divers, and search and rescue work.
The research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.